What I Bought 4/3/2021 - Part 2

There was only one new comic out this week I wanted, so I didn't bother going hunting for it. Next week is supposed to be pretty good, so I'll try and grab it then. In the meantime, here's two fourth issues from last month to look at.

The Union #4, by Paul Grist (writer), Andrea Di Vito (penciler), Le Beau Underwood (inker), Nolan Woodard (colorist), Travis Lanham (letterer) - I can't decide what the green lights in Choir's mouth remind me of. The weird engine from Event Horizon? A Borg Cube thing? It'll come to me in the middle of the night, I'm sure.

After opening with a flashback to some fight thirty years ago where The Sponge had the drop on Britannia (who I keep expecting to pop back up under some, "You can't kill the spirit of a nation" thing), they move to the present. Where "Doc Croc" (who doesn't like that name) and his band of lackeys (including The Choir) are invading the Tower of London to steal "The Empire Stone" created by John Dee. The Union go down like a bunch of chumps, demonstrating a total lack of teamwork. But that tech bro that put the team together takes the stone for himself before Croc can get it.

Well, we all knew that billionaires are the true villains. I'm pretty much expecting the last issue to be a fight between Croc and his bunch, as the old-school costumed villains (including a talking, cybernetically enhanced corgi), versus the irritating corporate sleazebag and his shitty haircut and stupid mustache. That could be highly entertaining, or highly depressing. I mean, I'm rooting for the super-villain personally. At least they've got flair and style.

 

At this point, there's no real sign the heroes are going to get their act together and work cooperatively. Or maybe they will and it'll just prove ineffective. I'm not sure yet what Grist is going for there. The Sponge seemingly didn't kill Britannia 30 years ago, and instead now works for the government. So people can change, can triumph over their inner demons? But they need the right person to nudge them along? And the team doesn't have that person, since Union Jack's clearly not cutting it. Although I feel like there's been so little opportunity to see him try it's hard to say he can't.

Guess I'll have to wait until the last issue comes out in May to see where Grist is going with this thing.

Black Cat #4, by Jed MacKay (writer), Nina Vakueva (artist), Brian Reber (color artist), Ferran Delgado (letterer) - She won't be happy when those cats barf all over the loot to mark it.

I'm assuming this was originally going to be the second Annual, which was mentioned before the canceled the previous run. It's focused on Lily Hollister, one of several characters added during Brand New Day. She was that one goblin villain, Menace? She had a kid with either Harry, or maybe Norman slept with her behind his son's back, I don't know. She doesn't remember much of that, and now she's trying to be a hero called the Queen Cat. Her costume is just a color-reversed version of Felicia's earlier outfits.

Vakueva draws Felicia's current costume pretty much how Kris Anka did in that two-part Madripoor story that came out last year. Where the collar flares out a lot more, the furry parts at the wrists and ankles are more like flares than cuffs, and the "mask" isn't really even that

Lily was working as a waitress at the party Felicia attended in the very first issue of the previous volume, and she's been trying to hunt Felicia down ever since. If she's going to be the hero, she needs to bring down the villain who she resembles. Nice touch by Vakueva that, when we Lily sees Felicia at points from earlier stories, she's drawn closer to how Travel Foreman drew her. Bigger hair, and with the more classic fur cuffs on the costume. Lily eventually found their hideout by staking out a takeout place, beat up Black Fox (wrong animal, lady) and stole everything they'd stolen. Except Felicia finds her faster than expected and whups her butt. 

Most of the issue is narrated as a journal entry Lily is writing, and the entry cuts off abruptly when Bruno and Doctor Korpse bust in unexpectedly. But Lily finished writing like two pages ago. Closed the journal and was laying there on her bed looking pleased with herself. So that didn't quite track. 

 

The big part of the issue is that Felicia encourages Lily to keep being a hero if that's what she really wants, and if she needs Felicia as a foil, then that's OK, too. The whole thing is presented as Lily only knowing enough about who she was before to hate that person, and wanting to be someone better and different. Felicia, having gone through that horribly conceived stretch where she tried to be a crime boss (thanks, Bendis and Slott, you putzes), and now getting back to what she does well (and what makes her a cool and fun character), gets that. 

I'm pretty sure that's the only time MacKay's referenced the whole "Queenpin" status quo. Hopefully it's the last time, but it fits in this situation. Felicia isn't the sort of character to judge someone else for deciding to do something dangerous and ill-advised with their life. It's not a great issue as a standalone, since Lily seems so obviously out of her league here. But as a breather between the magic-slinging madness from the previous three issues, and a return to the upcoming Big Heist, it works. Gives the comic a chance to re-center on what it's really been about.