What I Bought 2/7/2019

I prefer running in cold weather to hot, although running outdoors beats a treadmill any day of the week. Still, might be a bit too cold when I notice there's frost on my eyebrows. The last two books from January. One is an ongoing series nearing its end, and the other is a mini-series going into the final third.

Coda #8, by Simon Spurrier (writer), Matias Bergara (artist), Michael Doig (color assists), Jim Campbell (letterer) - Yeah, this issue will not be as placid as the cover suggests.

This issue is narrated by Serka, who has returned to the wastes where the Urken go when they feel the fury bubbling up from within. She was denied the opportunity to complete the quest she'd devoted her life to, and so she needs to blow off some steam. Hum, meanwhile has to get the hell out of Thundervale fast, because Notch, now ruler of the community, has to make a show of killing the ones responsible for the murder of the previous leader. He runs to Serka, and learns he understood nothing about her, while she understood him pretty well. Now he gets to live with that knowledge.

That did not go at all the way I expected. I knew his big plan to "save" Serka with his potion wasn't going to go as planned, that he was going to have misunderstood her curse. I didn't expect the issue was going to be that she doesn't see it at all the way he does, given how it was something she often tried to hide away from him.

The pages when Hum ventures into the Everstorm are gorgeous. It's mostly this swirling mass of dull browns and reds, which adds to the nightmarish aspect when he sees what's there. These giant bloated masses of shadows with gaping maws and dull red eyes. The first panel is small inset one of him trying to shield his face from the wind-driven grit, and the ring that glows in her presence is this simple red circle. Not flashing brightly like on the page before, but just a little bit of color that guides him to ruin. I'm getting maudlin, that's never good.

I'm a little torn, actually. The end of the issue feels like it should be heartbreaking, but I don't really want to feel bad for Hum, who could have avoided this disaster by trying to talk to her, to understand her point of view. I guess it's sad for Serka, to be so directly confronted with his weakness and lack of, trust maybe, in her. But I feel as though she'll hold up under this break-up better than he will. I really don't know what he's going to do going forward. March back and put his head in the noose, perhaps? Feels like the performance art a bard would favor.

Ms. Marvel #37, by G. Willow Wilson (writer), Nico Leon (artist), Ian herring (color artist), Joe Caramagna (letterer) - I hadn't ever thought of Kamala having painted fingernails. Kind of assumed her mother would have objections to that.

Kamala and Gabe are supposed to be looking after their nephew, but are entirely incapable of it, and go running to the convenience store for help. Then the water mains burst and the town begins to flood, and they lose the baby. Fortunately their various friends are much calmer and more competent and take care of the baby until Kamala can stop the flooding. And her brother finally gets a job, one that will probably suit him well. Might make him insufferable, though.

Kind of a cute issue. I'm not much for babies, and the way Herring colored Malik's eyes in the last panel screams he's possessed by a demon, rather than just has superpowers. Maybe that was what he was going for. Maybe next month, Kamala and her friends must perform an exorcism on her nephew.

But watching all the different parts of the cast interact outside super-villain shenanigans is nice. I was a little surprised Harold - the retired veteran from the Legion of Substitute Ms. Marvels  story - knows the others by name, but isn't used to seeing them when they aren't cosplaying as superheroes. So they told him their names while superheroing?

It's kind of another breather issue, although it does conclude Aamir's long search for a job which doesn't offend his religious sensibilities. So Wilson is moving a few things forward before the end of her run. I wonder if she and the incoming creative team have been discussing things, trying to find a point to end her time as writer that will let things flow smoothly into the new team's run. It's nice to hope.

Leon gets in some funny visual gags of people adapting to the flooded streets. Bruno trying to use the sign for the "Smushee" machine as a sail. Harold giving his scooter amphibious capabilities with rocking chairs and some modified paddles on the rear tire. Random shark fins and pigeons calmly floating. I don't think pigeons do well in water, though. Maybe they're puffins in disguise! Those damn puffins. I kid, puffins are swell. Instead of CGI-ing them into some alien whatever in that last Star Wars movie, they should have just had Luke being a hermit on an island full of puffins. It's a big galaxy, far away. Something extremely similar to puffins could totally evolve there. Better listen to me, I'm a wildlife biologist.

(Note: You should not listen to me about this. I am probably talking out of my ass.)