What I Bought 11/04/09 - Part 2

Something that annoys me when I go to the store is if I need to visit the restroom, and when I exit, I find someone's taken my cart. I had goods I planned to exchange money for in there! I don't know whether it was some other customer who decided they also needed soda, floss, and WD-40, or some employee, but what the hell? I can't take the stuff in the bathroom with me, and apparently I can't leave it outside, either.

Guardians of the Galaxy #19 - Kang saves Star-Lord's team from Magus' followers. Kang explains that the future where Warlock becomes Magus is gradually taking over every future in every timeline. This is bad, especially for Kang since it means there aren't futures where he takes over anymore. He provides Star-Lord with a Cosmic Cube, and sends him back to the moment between when Warlock saved the universe, and when he becomes Magus to do 'what's necessary'. Except Peter dicks around, and by the time he actually does what's necessary, things are a lot worse than they were before.

Damn, that was an excessively depressing issue. They killed half the team, including several of my favorites! I'm not sure whether Wesley Craig's art really worked for this issue. I like his style, but I think it' being exaggerated kind of undercuts the seriousness of the situation. On the other hand, he does an excellent job with the facial expressions, so the grief and anguish of the characters comes through clearly. Maybe the colors are too bright, and that's what bothers me. Either way, the issue certainly surprised me. I never thought I'd actually prefer an ending that had the Magus on the loose.

Nova #30 - Rich and the other Novas attempt to deal with the simultaneous problem of the Mindless Ones showing up to rescue their boss, a Not-So Mindless One, and the fact Ego's woken up, and is very angry about the Nova Corps using him for a base. So Rich, as he put it, handles two birds with one stone. We also learn something about Mr. Monark Starslayer, and it looks as though both he and Ego may be problems for the Nova Corps down the road.

One thing I found curious was how stupid some of the Novas seemed in this issue. I know Morrow and Fraktur are still technically rookies compared to Rich, and especially compared to Philo, but they'd been handling themselves pretty well on Earth. Maybe that was because Richard was there to guide them, or maybe because the Serpent Society isn't supposed to be on the threat level of Mindless Ones (though the Serpents ought to be harder to plan against, just because they aren't mindless). I still can't warm up to Kevin Sharpe's art. There's nothing wrong with it necessarily, it's a little too shiny, maybe too many little lines, but I just can't get comfortable with it, though i do like how he draws Philo. He's supposed to be old, so the little lines work well on him.

Nova #31 - No idea why the released Nova on back-to-back weeks. Kind of disappointed by it, since I liked having Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy as my double dose of cosmic goodness at the end of the month. Besides, I have enough books that come out the first week of the month already.

Darkhawk is wanted by the Shi'ar for killing Lilandra (except he didn't do it). He's been located on a planet called Shard, which is falling into the Fault. So off Richard goes to find Chris. he finds him, they scuffle a bit, Chris starts to explain, so cue weird, other-dimensional plant thing that starts tearing the planet apart. Rich and Chris must save Kree archeologists that were too stupid to leave earlier, and then our heroes run into another Raptor. Crap. Then the planet disintegrates. Damn. Also, Philo is taking his job as trainer for the rookie Novas very seriously, and I think I'm gonna like him.

While I'm still not real keen on this "Fraternity of Raptors" stuff, I am enjoying Darkhawk in space. The size of the mission he's tasked himself with, and the trouble on his tail, but now he's got a friend with him, so that ought to help. Be interesting to see if Nova Prime vouching for Darkhawk would help with the Shi'ar. Also, could an Earthling killing Lilandra really be considered treason? Regicide, sure, though she hadn't officially taken control of the Empire back, but treason? She's not Darkhawk's ruler! I think Gladiator's just making up charges because he's grief-stricken, or it's that Raptor posing as Gladiator's Araki. Andrea DiVito takes over for this arc, which is OK with me. It's a simpler style, fewer lines and thicker ones, but I have a fondness for it.

I know he's busy drawing Hulk-related stuff, but I'd like to see Paul Pelletier back on this book. Or Wellinton Alves, I had gotten used to his work. Oh well, DiVito and Sharpe are certainly preferable to any number of other possibilities.