This Week on Marvel Unlimited: 08/12/2020
Marvel drops another 12 comics on the app…5 Empyre books lead the way. Plus a bunch of quick hit reviews and a longer look at the new Star Wars series.
New This Week
Amazing Spider-Man #46
Captain Marvel #19
Empyre #5
Empyre: Avengers #2
Empyre: Captain America #2
Empyre: X-Men #3
Ghost-Spider #9
Immortal Hulk #36
Marauders #11
Star Wars: Darth Vader #4
Venom #27
X-Force #11
Notes: Empyre reading order for this week: Captain Marvel #19, Empyre: Avengers #2, Empyre: Captain America #2, Empyre: X-Men #3, Empyre #5 (holy crap, it’s crazy to release this kind of checklist and not follow it, let alone not touch on some of the stuff that happening within the titles…more on that below)…no new arcs start this week, so nothing really to highlight…
Best of the Week
Black Cat #12 – Felicia vs Iron Man, only the Black Cat has created her own armor. It’s a fun back and forth between the 2 with a little swerve at the end. I’ve been reading this for 4 issues now, and it’s actually a book I’m looking forward too…only it appears this was the last issue, as they don’t forward you to the next issue when it’s done. I’ll be very disappointed if this is the case.
Deadpool #6 – Deadpool goes to Krakoa, feeling insulted that he didn’t get an invite (although he does point out he’s not a mutant, but that many of the viewers of the movie don’t realize this). After some battles with a few of the X-Men, he gets an invitation to come back occasionally, but he doesn’t really want to. It’s really a fun one shot that doesn’t take itself seriously.
Lords of Empyre: Celestial Messiah #1
Empyre: X-Men #2
Fantastic Four #22
Empyre #4
Empyre Handbook #1 – I’m losing steam on this event. Celestial Messiah looks at the background of Quoi, the Cotati leader. It shows how he got to where he is and includes a psychic battle with his mother, Mantis. This might have been one of the better books in the series. The X-Men continue to investigate the battle happening at Genosha, where the Scarlet Witch resurrected zombie mutants battle the Cotati, while a group of old ladies (seen earlier in the Dawn of X stuff) gather samples of the Cotati. I’m kind of bored with this storyline. Fantastic Four deal with the earlier found Kree and Skrull children raised to fight one another. The New FF (Spidey, Wolverine, Franklin, Valeria) lose the Kree child to a Cotati cult and set to rescue him. Empyre has an impostor Hulkling start the Pyre Initiative, which will use the sun as a weapon to stop the Cotati, while also destroying the galaxy. The battle in Wakanda reveals that She-Hulk was actually resurrected by the Cotati and a spy for them. And Tony Stark is still sulking in the Avengers HQ. Like I said, I’m losing interest.
Giant-Size X-Men: Fantomex #1 – Yeah – more Weapon Plus. Fantomex has been using people to help him infiltrate the World for years, including Wolverine and Cyclops (back in Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run). He’s come to Krakoa to do it again. He’s trying to bring his “brother” out, who was left there when Fantomex was cast out. The X-Men agree because the potential cure for Storm (from way back in Giant-Size X-Men: Jean and Emma) is in the World. It’s a quick read, but I’m interested to see where this goes in the long run.
Guardians of the Galaxy #5 – A Moondragon centric issue, as the 2 versions of the characters face off. The 616 version hates that she was replaced while dead; the other version overpowers her and merges them together to bring a new Moondragon. The other stuff was more entertaining, as the new Guardians essentially complete their mission and the old Guardians become their captives. I have a feeling we’ll see Peter Quill again soon. Solid issue.
Star Wars #5 – See the Retro Review
Retro Review: Star Wars Vol 2 1-5.
Again, not really a retro book, but I wanted to get caught up so I can read this monthly. Like the new Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra series, this moves to the period between Empire and Jedi. Well, kind of, since the first issue takes place during the end of Empire, between when the Falcon leaves Cloud City and they arrive at the medical frigate the movie ends at.
When the Falcon gets to the rendezvous point, there is an Imperial fleet attacking the Rebel fleet. The Falcon helps to turn the tide of the battle, but the Rebels realize that their communication system is compromised. Without a way to contact other cells, they don’t have a way to plan future attacks. They also can’t let the other cells know without the Empire getting on to them.
Lando, realizing he won’t be trusted and doesn’t really want to be the hero, convinces Luke to take him back to Cloud City under the premise Luke can find his lightsaber. Luke is feeling a disconnect from the force and feels like the lightsaber might help return it. Leia accompanies them, because she wants to understand the carbonite freezing process. Lando wants to free Lobot.
As they approach Cloud City, Lando communicates with a cloud car pilot to make it look like they are engaging them. Lando still has many of the codes for Cloud City and can get them past the Imperial forces. The 3 split up to go about their missions. While the missions may not go as planned, they all make it off the city. Lando disrupts the Tibanna mining and makes the facility obsolete for the Empire. Leia gets her information and some new allies to join the rebellion. Luke doesn’t find his lightsaber, but renews his connection to the force and gets his X-Wing back.
After escaping Cloud City, Luke splits to search for a Jedi he saw in a vision. After initially confronting her, he’s trapped and she’s ready to kill him as he’s the son of Vader. Lando and Chewie head to Tatooine to find out if Boba Fett has landed there with Han. Leia and the remaining rebels in her cell decide to break apart to find and warn other cells about the compromised communication.
There is some great story aspects here. The return to Cloud City was a great story and I enjoyed seeing the part that takes place during the end of Empire. The dialogue is pretty accurate to the characters and I can hear the lines in the actors’ voices. The art is beautiful, as it’s been with almost all of the Marvel Star Wars books.
Don’t forget, the Krakoa Mutant Tracker is updated weekly as new books come to Marvel Unlimited.
