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Alright, let's get on with the show then. Waiting down upon the underworld to smash ganglins, come to the Friends of the Unfortunate. Enemy of criminal. In mysterious, all powerful characters are problems to the police, but at a crusade of a law.
Come sail. There's a comic book review show here on the YouTube channel, comic-pop, YouTube.com. Slash Comic-Pop, where we take books from the past week and then recap and read you with them and tell you what we thought about them and then give you recommendations or books like that. So, let's jump into them.
People have been really good week for books. Finally, last week, a little bit of a done. This past week? Not bad.
For me, it wasn't strong. No. It wasn't a strong week for me. Well, I'm sorry.
There's a lot of great DC stuff that came out this week, so let's not waste any more time not talking about it. Before I do that, I want to make sure this thing looks okay. Please, time not wanting. Not wanting.
Wait, not not wanting. Yep. Well, I'm working on that. That doesn't matter.
Oh, I was going to say, before we went on, like, this is a stormtrooper hat, but whenever I wear this, all I can think of is Greg. Hello? Yeah. I was like, I want to make sure I say it right.
Yeah. And he's like his icon. Yes, his logo. He's logo.
I guess what it makes me think of it. I'm like, I've got his head on my head. His face is on my head. Should make a hat of him.
Well, it is pretty cool. They should make a hat for him. Like, he should brand himself more. And then he could wear his own face on top of his head.
It's already weird enough when you're standing in front of his own gigantic banner at Connes, but anyway. So, the first one we're going to talk about is of course Justice League Annual No. 1, which was done by Scott Snyder, James Tanya IV, and I think it was just only a couple of artists, so let's talk about it. There they are.
Daniel Sampre. That's it. Wow. Very consistent, I got to say, by the way, I didn't feel like there was a case.
It felt like there were a couple of different artists on it. Like, you know, not in a distractingly terrible way. So Justice League Annual, this dovetails directly out of the last issue of Justice League, where John just gets a huge info dump from a white Martian, or not a white Martian, it's actually a straight up Martian, who is being kept under lock and key by Shaira of the Hawke people, because they were using magics and ancient universal tomes to keep Thanagar Prime looking like it's in its prime and containing Hawke people. Anyway, the one of the Martian guys doesn't work out for them, so they launched a new plan.
And that plan is instigated by the recently brought back into the forefront character Star Man. Yes, which I missed a lot in between. You know, you know, it's funny. They didn't really have a lot.
It's more just like it felt like there should be more. Right, but I was going to say, I missed a bunch of issues, but then when I picked this up, like the annual does a good job of being an annual. Yes. Where it's like, luckily I knew basically what was going on.
If I had no idea, I got into all that, I would have been completely in the deep end of the pool here. I thought they did a nice job of like, all right, he skipped a couple of stuff, like a couple of issues. You're probably going to be okay. Yeah, it does a really nice job of making no justice relevant again.
Yeah. While also kind of like still reminding you like, don't forget Dark Knight's Metal really screwed things up. Yes. Did you buy the trade or the hardcover because you got to in order to know what happened and all you need to know is that there's a hole in the source wall.
That's all you need. So you really don't need to read Dark Knight's Metal at all. Right. And if you were really just like dark instead, you're very well aware of the fact that there's a baby hole in the source wall because that deals with that too.
So yeah. Yeah. So well, we haven't really talked about what happens to the issue, but the point is Starman is like on a holy crusade where he's like, we are going to do this, this, this, and this, and then we will fix the hole in the source wall. He's driven like his mission.
Yeah. Like his one reason for existing right now. Not only is he driven, but he's also convinced that it's going to work out, which was a little writing trope to remind you that it's totally not going to work out. Everything is working kind of like in succession with like clockwork-esque precision.
It's really working out well until it doesn't. Obviously, you know, this is kind of like the official sequel to No Justice because it plays into everything. The Titans, Brainiac's original scheme. Brainiac getting revenge on said scheme.
Yes. Because Brainiac is basically Luther's like replacement for Joker because obviously Joker would never work with Luther. And if you didn't read that, James Tying the Fourth tie in Justice League issue in which Joker basically quits. He tenders his resignation from the Legion of Doom.
Yeah. And says like, I'm not going to be in this because I feel like one day three jokers has come out and I'm going to have to be involved in that. Yeah. So I can't commit to a major thing like this.
I can't. Sorry. I feel like that must have been a conversation that I must have had with John's and other people were like, you can't use Joker. He's going to be really important over here and it's going to be like, it's going to be cosmic in nature.
Yeah. Exactly. But like get him out of here because like if you've never seen our conversation with Scott Snyder in which we talked to him for like two and a half hours. Snyder dropped a bunch of hints and a bunch of teases.
And one of the things he said was if you talk to him before the book comes out while he's writing it, he will incorporate your ideas or your thoughts or your requests into the story. So I feel like Joker getting out of there. Like Joker was in the book at the beginning so that we could get rid of him. Right.
Boom. So I'm going to cover. I'm going to buy it. Now you're in.
You're hooked hopefully by the premise of Justice League and this ongoing Hickman-esque sprawling epic that is kind of culminating. This is like the end of this issue kind of feels like the end of Act 1 for just Snyder's like big cosmic, you know, refacing of the DC universe. Yes. But anyway, we get the lantern core, the new gods, the Justice League.
And the fan of Gary and army. The Theragaining army. That's right. To try and like plug the hole in the Source Wall.
Yeah. Like basically the idea is that Star Man's like here's the thing. Brinek was right. Technically technically he was correct but like he was missing a key component and since you guys got rid of the entropy Titan, they can't complete the Source Wall healing.
That's what the Titans were there to do. They were there to seal the Source Wall not just destroy Earth which is going to be an unfortunate catch. They tend to get them energy so they can go do it. That's their job.
That's their job. But it's totally cool because I can funnel that energy. Exactly. But I need a conduit.
So he plans on using Kendra Hall? Yeah. Our Hawker-O-Man by the way in the last Justice League there's a point where Thanagar-Pron kind of falls away and then there's this big moment where you're like, oh no. We're going to fix this problem with Shigera and Kendra and I think Star Man grabs Shigera and touches Kendra and you're like, oh we're going to merge him.
Oh, I'm going to take a piece of her soul and put it on you. Still two different characters. Still two different Hawker-O-Man. Or Hawker-O-Man.
Okay. Okay, fine. Anyway, so Kendra's important. They made- They made super wings.
Yes, her wings are like a portal or a dimensional tuning forge or lightning rod. They also established in no justice. They totally did? Yeah.
Oh yeah, no big time. So they wrap her in a bunch of in an enth metal suit and throw her at the wall. They're like, you know, all the Omega Titans are whatever you want to call them. They have like holes that are perfectly suited for you.
Right. Like as they're like placing them, it's like a puzzle on a video game. And then they're like, oh, I know what goes here. We're totally okay.
Yeah. So Kendra says like, oh, I found my hole, which you pointed out. It's like a big ass homage by Snyder to his like a love of Junji. Yeah, and the Enigma of Amigara fault where it's all about these random holes in mountains that are shaped like humans and people being compelled and drawn to going into them.
It's because they've discovered like these, like even though they seem to like the uninitiated as though they're just people outlines those who are called to it. I have like they found their hole. They're going to and they come out to the side. It's perfect.
But like as soon as I thought, I was like, huh, good call, Snyder. You know, great. Now I'm like, well, she come out on the other side. That would have been kind of cool.
Agreed. Like, what do you come out on the if you go through what happens? Yeah. But anyway, John makes her like a heaven-shitting it to you.
Which is a sweet idea. And like I liked that they threw that in because it gave you all the more like, oh, this might actually work. They might actually just get rid of Kendra here because it's like, it's messed up. Yeah.
And like, you have two Hawke girls. Why wouldn't they just get rid of one of them? Right. So you're thinking, oh no.
Yeah. And like, and he follows through with all this and like we obviously developed the fact that John and Kendra have like a little bit of a back and forth. You're like, oh no, I thought that John and Kendra were going to get together by literally no other reason than I watched the Dusty Carter. Oh no, he said it got like with Shayra.
Right. Now you can have two Hawke girls. But yeah, so she kisses John because she's also like, I've lived a thousand lifetimes and like, she's almost like medit's actually being like, I normally hook up with John in the thing you know. I want to own experience.
Right. She said she normally she's with Carter. I was like, I've been with Carter so many times, but like I'm so sick of like the universe tongue what I need to do. Exactly.
So, so. Now they go be in the hole with the universe tells me to. Yeah. So ultimately they was the time they was the plan.
The whole thing falls apart. Well, they don't visit. Well, no, they're doing everything right. But then the leisure show's up.
And like they was it for them in a way that only supervillains with these types of egos can where it's just like, no, no, no, I know what's better and I can totally control the uncontrollable force. Right. Which I appreciate. Like they're being like very standard supervillains in that way.
They show up. Brainiacs there. Is there a deal that like, um, that Luther, I guess brought it back or he came to him or? Yeah, but Luther brought to the Star Man back.
Or Brainiacs. And, um, my brainiacs like here's the thing like you messed up with your there's seven like power that you need and you only had four of them. So we need to get the last three and Star Man's the key because he's got them all. Right.
So we need to go there and I'll take control of his brain and then I'll use it and we can bring it back. Perpetua. Perpetua. What are the worst named new ideas in the last 10 years?
Well, obviously she could tell it couldn't where it was. I was like, proooooo. Because it's so lame. Perpetua is this like big cosmic god thing that's not created for this event or the story.
He's been teasing it literally since the first issue of the New Justice League book. So if you don't know who it is, I don't blame you, but also go back and there are like breadcrumbs that imply. They literally straight up say Perpetua is the thing. I'm like Perpetua really?
Perpetua. Perpetua. But it's like a freaking name. Okay.
Um, and they're also implying that like maybe she was before the new universe that like she created it. She created it. And like, Crona saw her hand or something. Like so anyone who has theories about Doctor Manhattan throw that right out the window because Perpetua, this is a new idea that is- She's the mother of creation.
Well, no, she's the mother of the the, uh, the monitor and the anti-monitor. Right. Like she created the monitor and the anti-monitor. And in any, in any way, the Legion of Doom like kidnap her and take her away.
Oh yeah, she uses her, her powers to destroy the Source Wall. Cause- Cause reasons. Cause reasons we don't know yet. Because we don't know her motivations and as like a god like deity, we may never know her motivations.
We will. Well, I was gonna say, I think it's gonna go one of two ways. It could be Lovecraftian in that sense where it's just like it doesn't feel like- Really cool. It's just a force of nature and it does as it pleases.
Most discuss the knight or cast of events and in characters holding hands and hoping and loving so hard that like the problem goes away. So like, no. Well maybe they could be love-crafting so hard. I don't think that's a joke.
But yeah, the Source Wall blows up and this like brings Doom upon the DC Universe. And it's fun to see Snyder like apply this cosmic change to everybody. Darkseid, it's something sad, Spectre is like, oh no, I'm not gonna do anything again. So what I do.
You know what I appreciate about this page though is that Snyder acknowledges what Tynan's doing in just like Darkseid. It's like it's Swamp Thing and Detective to hang out together. Obviously they can hang out. Obviously because they're on the same team.
Also because Snyder and Grandmorsener buddies, we have a big old reference to the whole diversity and the team over there. And how that affects it. The Legion of Doom grabs Perpetua and they leave and then everyone's like, we gotta go. Yeah, because like the universe is like it's been broken down but also like it's like unraveling things.
Like the new gods, like High Fathers just gone. Yeah, exactly. And like the other new gods take off. They take off.
They grab Boom Tunes and they get out of here. Yeah, because we get as far as we're going to fade away and apocalypse and... Darkseid. No apocalypse.
Oh, the Planet of Oz. Yeah, apocalypse and New Genesis are gone. It's like, it's like alderaan. Right.
And so we enter this new, this brave new world of the DC Universe in a very different place. The Legion of Doom has Perpetua in a kind of like perpetual state of and it's been an animation. She's like the new Nora for use. Yeah, I'd be great if they were using like free zoning and technology.
Right. In the event. Right. No, he's like, he's like, oh he's sad.
Yeah. That's cool. That's a great image. But yeah, so basically Perpetua is now like in the hands of the Legion of Doom, the Justice League is SOL and the cosmology of DC such that it is is no more.
Or at least it's forever changed until they fix it. Right, right. And like they established like this new status quo where it's like, look everybody's working together to fix this one problem and now everyone has to go deal with crap on their own. The Guardians called the Lanterns back because they're like going to need to be sent out to keep order in the galaxy as things are changing and so they can't help out anymore with the Justice League.
The Thanogram Empire does the same thing or the army they retreat as well. Right. And the idea is that like all our heroes go back to Earth and just figure it out. Nice job, Starman.
But it wasn't his fault. He had a good play. It was a solid plan and it was working up. It's a brain action.
We're the bad man didn't see it coming since he did nothing in this issue. I mean for him to not think about the Legion Doom. But it was a great issue. It's really fun.
It sets up some terrific status quo. So DCU. Yeah. I'm excited for it.
I really hope they don't drag it out. The issue felt like the length every Justice League book should be. And I was like really just like jazzed about the set up. I'm like this is cool.
And the thing that comes out of it should also be equally cool if they have a plan and a roadmap and a freaking chart with everything on it. But like if they don't the whole thing will crash and burn. That being said the issue was great and I'm excited for the future of DCU from this. I thought it was good.
Like it was funny because it sets up almost the same status quo as it was before. The source will screw it except before it was like I mean we'll fix it. And now we can't fix it unless we can. Unless we rebuild it or build a new one.
Right. And it's weird because in some capacity spun its wheels but completely didn't on the other hand. Exactly. And he told us this cool story that if you're jumping on for the first time you might be a little lost but you'll be able to hopefully continue on from this.
And it allows other creators to play with the world he's cracked and instead of just fixed it immediately. But at the same time I was like okay. Okay but now what? I honestly could have the plan was so detailed in the beginning and there was so much setup.
So much setup for this plan. I'm like it's going to fail and I know it's going to fail. Unless it doesn't. But I kind of hoped it would not fail.
Right. Just because there was so much setup. There was so much setup. In a way that was like he was good but was sort of wasted real estate.
He established the Jean and Kendra relationship to what end. Right. Exactly. At least in this issue.
I don't know. It was good. I'm not saying it wasn't good. It was good.
Yeah. Good stuff. By the way if you are wondering about Document Hat and I would let go of the document hat in theory for the rest of your life. I would drop it.
Because like don't be surprised at Document Hat and has nothing to do with anything until like. I don't know. He will not be joining us. He's the rest of his life.
Especially because doomsday clock will never end. Pricey 8040 Superchats which by the way if you want to participate in the show yourself you can always use Superchats to have your question or your question. Or whatever comments right on the show here helps us keep the roof up our heads and everything like that. Which is what we encourage to use it.
Pricey 8040 says my mom just finished up her first volume of Saga and Spider-Man Blue. That's amazing. Now I'm going to go back to read more Watchmen. I'm this close to getting my mom into comics.
If you use books like that you will be this close. You will actually have some senior. That's incredible. Yay.
Also your mom's really cool with this. You like Saga. I know. Your mom's really cool.
That was yes. That's very cool. I'm not being. Mr.
Abato with Success of Aquaman movie Hope for Aquaman and the other. Maybe a resurgent of the book. Just like no one blocks Aquaman and the others. And for both of you who did buy Aquaman and the others, I bought it.
I say to you it was enough to keep the book afloat. Putt intended. I remember talking about a comic book retailer when that book launched and they were like, this book is dead on a rifle. He had a thousand copies left over.
Like he just gave a long box before that book. He also says that the people who can fix the Source wall Blue entrance. I mean like I was surprised to see that we didn't get like the whole spectrum involved. Weird.
And Valentino G says, I think he wasn't in the annual but how awesome is Jaro that Starro when it's Jaro. I think Jaro is adorable and fun. I think it's the Jaro sees Batman as his father. It's like daddy no it's really sad and cute.
He's gonna hate him. Right of course because nothing says like let's wreck our fun like You're a better son than Damien. Charles a better son than Damien ever could be. That's right.
I don't know I'm just making just making our own jokes. Making my own jokes over here. So if I can speak briefly about amazing spider-man number 14. I'll sit on my coffee.
Amazing Spider-man number 14 is written by an expenser with art by Chris Botchilo. What? He ruined this issue. It is horrible looking.
I love Chris Botchilo art and I think he does an incredible job on books like Doctor Strange and the Xbox that he used to do. But this is something else. I don't know what it is but it ain't working. And goddamn it Marvel like people will buy amazing Spider-man even if you need to delay it because art like this is borderline unforgivable.
In any case Spider-man and Mary Jane have dinner with Doc Connors and his lizard family in the sewers like they never would and the lizard basically implies that there's gonna be some like subtext or some subplots regarding lizard and Billy and his burgeoning family. Basically this is an issue to remind you about the status quo so they can totally upset it. The status quo being Peter is in Doc Connors class. He's trying to re-get his doctorate in something he didn't steal like from Doctor Octopus.
So but the lizard is Doc Connors and whatnot. So he's like, you know, but he's regained his mind and so if you remember from your clone conspiracies he brought the, you know, Jackalbrockback Doc Connors family and then lizards they've dived off their degeneration by turning them into lizards. It's hard to really get into a lizard plot because the lizard ate his son. His own son?
Yes. He consumed his own son. He ate parts of him but he killed him. So whenever you like give him his son back through cloning and whatnot.
Is this son? I mean, is it this lizard? It's this lizard. Yeah.
Yeah. Curt Connors doesn't die and it's cloned in fact life. But is it like the lizard or was it? He was a lizard.
We can help himself. Please. So lizard ate his son. It's hard to really redeem him and like cloning is not a do over.
Like one of the nice things about marble cloning if you can ever say that in a sentence is that like they don't usually replace the thing that they come out. Like when they first launched like any modicum of like mains from cloning with Quincy, they were like bring Quincy back. I don't care how you do it. They were cloned and they were like at the end of the day, they didn't like ever take her.
She left the book and then died later on. But like every clone been really replaced by him for a little while. It's the war costume that was different. So you could like avoid those issues like never replaced them.
This is weird and creepy in any event. Aunt May has lunch with Jonah's dad's lawyer. Okay. Who is basically saying like Jonah's dad before he died invested everything he ever had in Parker Industries.
So you're all broke. There's no money. But I'll have sex with you. And I may as like get out of my face.
That's her plot. And I think it's done with cancer. Oh, no. Oh, no, indeed.
That was brought up in front of the neighbors. Everybody gets your pots and pans and start banging them together to chase me. Oh, no. Bring it on.
Come out with this though. Let's see you. Let's address this thing. Get out of your voice.
I feel like that is like they're really playing up a huge Spider-Man status question too. I mean, like the fact that Aunt May has cancer is like a big deal. Anyway, there's a cute moment Aunt May, save somebody. She saves Ned Leeds, who is brought back during the clone conspiracy and then is like pretending to be a homeless person, even though he's not really pretending because he's almost, he's being roughed up by some street tough so it may shows up and uses a like holographic projector to turn herself into a giant like Spider-Monster to scare them away and then she and Ned like have lunch and they build the lawyer.
Pete and Mary Jane walk home but on the way there the rhino tears up the restaurant that everyone has had lunch in so far in this book. Because the rhino is being tailed or chased or hounded by Taskmaster and Black Ant which is another ongoing thing from the next Masergis Spider-Man story. Spider-Man and rhino team up and sets up the next story which is gonna be fun. I like the art.
I don't. I know. I think it's like. But you have a very specific taste in art.
I do. But like I think. But I like Boscholene and I like his interpretation of things and I like his interpretations of panels and I think it adds to the written story. Boschol is Spider-Man is great.
Yeah. Boschol is Taskmaster and Black Ant is great. Anyone with a face looks horrendous. Yeah I just Peter Parker's not great but I like to say it to Mary Jane.
Because I know she looks to be a man or not. I confused her with multiple characters. Okay I don't know if she ever seen an elderly woman. That happens.
No it does. Not like this. Not like the character that you could you establish for 70 years. No it does.
I like it. But that's just my taste. That's fair. Like I'm not telling you like it's the best Spider-Man art I've ever seen.
I'm not telling you. I just I like it. I like it. I think it's very good.
I like it. I honestly like his rhino quite a bit. I don't. I think it's weird.
I think it's really cool. He did. Well I'm glad you enjoy it. Thank you.
The issue was a filler and you don't need to read it. You go. It's fine. Yeah.
But like I said if you if you liked what was it way the weird? Yeah. It's just like that. Well yeah that's exactly it.
And I do like that style of art but I understand why people don't dig it which is what I've always said about it. He doesn't do the thing that you hate though. Where he cuts corners. I know that drives me insane.
That did not happen. That's not really father. I would rather him use his white space like he likes to do. Yeah.
Nothing. Yeah. Like canvas and then some pictures. In any event you were like you kind of don't need it but like it's fine.
Right. It feels weird. Yes. It feels like Spencer wants to get to the point of his arc.
So we're so this issue is essential. But it's also like you could probably read the summary page. The thing I noticed by the way about Osurge. I was gonna say the summary pages at Marvel are essential.
They are great. They should be the industry standard. The problem is they are written by some fucking intern doesn't know how right. Mmm.
Often times. Yeah. The majority of spelling errors and grammatical problems and or punctuation issues I've ever seen in Marvel comic are all relegated to the info page. I don't know why that is.
It's like the editors don't look at that page. It's just to just put it through a Google filter and you're good to go. Right. Either way you could just read that and you'll be fine.
There you go. I was gonna say they should keep Bachelorette to design that whole like human set of people. That would be cool looking. Because he's like well horror is his bag.
Yeah. Cool designs are his bag. Yes. Yes.
And like I said like I am just wondering because a lot of people don't like Bachelorette. I didn't really do. I'm not saying you're totally mistaken. You don't understand.
No I was just a totally like different aesthetic. It's completely different aesthetic and it's just one of those like I dig. Yeah. But I get why people don't take it.
Like you know what like I actually kind of hope they keep pushing it not bachelorette but like more amazing Spider-Man feels so weird because why not leave supposed to be the staple artist on the book. I mean because I don't like his art so much on this title. It's like Oh there's a Ramos druid. He is Bachelorette druid.
I think there was another artist who filled in for them at some point. Just try everybody to get me to feel like this feels like a Spider-Man book again because I don't know what it is but there's something wrong with it and the Bacheloh page like or the Bacheloh issue felt like oh my god you're really trying to get me to like not read this book anymore. Anyway but like keep trying. Like because this issue felt like no Spider-Man issue you've ever read because of the Bachelorette which is cool and also funny for anyone to pick it up and which is like this is really neat.
Yeah. Guess what? It'll never look like that again. Exactly.
But like try it I guess. Keep pushing until you find somebody. Mikey Jesus says or guesses us. So it's a question for both of you.
A quick snap judgment one month in what is the best and most disappointing book of 2019. Or announcement. Best is Conan. Worst is Heroes in Crisis.
Logan Shirley says to me have you read Ice Cream Man from Image? Yeah I read the first two issues. I thought it was fun. I thought it was a good time.
Hi by all. I think I should just pick it up and trade. Personally at this point. Yeah fun really fun concept.
Logan's pitch is that it's Twilight Zone meets Steven King's Dark Tower series. Yeah I agree with that. So yeah Spider-Man I guess I recommend it by the way. Okay.
You want to do Doctor Strange? Yeah so last week Doctor Strange 400 came out. It's Doctor Strange number 10 for Mark Waid but it's the latest number for 400 and here it is and I bought it of course in floppy because it was the 400. I might as well have the physical copy of it.
It is written by Mark Waid with art by Jesus Sae-es Kevin Nellan and Jim Campbell also butch good. It's a lot of people work on this. Yeah. And in fact one of the artists is actually credited on the work that they do.
So why don't know who's it is? Nice. So it's cool. It's cool.
It's all written by Mark Waid which I was kind of surprised by because sometimes when you see these books where they have that little filler stories in the back because that's the main issue that you've been reading and then there's three stories that back it up. Two that works in the annual or issue. And they're all written by Waid. I expected to get anyone else right like to get Aaron to come in and write something.
Maybe Kate's maybe Jerry Dugan. Maybe anyone from like historically Jack. Hey Dennis Hol witts gonna come back. He's not busy very much.
Like Brian Kibbe like anybody in the past couple decades or even some of the older like writers just bring him in. Yeah just all Mark Waid. Yep. So.
And you have been here's the deal. You have been high on the Aaron run and that's kind of it. I really like the Aaron run. I really like that one issue that Jerry Dugan wrote for the defenders book which when the hell that gets it.
It's fine. Kate's had a come in and fix. So it's kind of like yeah and I really didn't like that. So it was and Waid I've been on the fence about because I just want to read Dr.
Strange. I'm kind of to a point right now where I think it's time to put Dr. Strange to bed and to just let it come out as like graphic novels which is killing me to say out loud. Right because like it's been a long time since Dr.
Strange was like monthly series. Yes. The issue I have is that this is not a horrible book. No.
It's just not what I want and it's not compelling to me and maybe this other people but it's just it just feels like a rehashing of the same things happening over and over again. Right and do you think that's the feelings of the monthly format where it's like well yeah but like none of us understand Dr. Strange so we're just gonna keep rehashing the same ideas over and over again to keep the book coming out. I think they actually gave it to a writer who didn't have a strong story.
Like it wasn't like someone came to them. They just wanted to keep the series going so they gave to Mark Waid who had written it. And Mark Waid is a staple Marvel author who can do the work. Like and that's by the way a big like not a secret but it's a big deal in the mainstream big two publishing house.
You can do it and you can prove it and you can guarantee an audience of a certain number then they will give you a job over quality over freshness over like hype they will give that person a job every single time you can deliver they will give you that job. Mark Waid has written Dr. Strange book and he was not like a big Dr. Strange author just that he's done it before.
Dr. Stern still around could do a Dr. Strange book and had done it for a long time. Hell Howard Mecky would love to do Dr.
Strange book. There are a hundred issues which he practically did like but for some reason I know exactly it is. Mark Waid is on Retangement Marvel and they were like we want to keep the book out. What are we going to do?
Yeah. We gotta give it to somebody. Last issue they set up that um the ancient one returned. It was like whoa the ancient one's here and he's like comes to learn from strings.
It's like how is it possible you became one with like whatever and then it's like yeah but here he is and it turns out that like this like dude like attacked him and like took his he pulled him out of time. No like out of like everything and then like his spirit and pulled him into a physical realm and it used this crazy demon thing to pull like a thing out of his body that was his knowledge because like this thing could find anything and everything. And so it's like here you go magic has a price. I used to really like that.
One more time. Use any really like ridiculous like is though you're like magic having a price. I love that concept but like the way Waid has used it has made it seem like it's a punishment to us. How so?
Like where it's just like we have magic has a price we gotta be the story we have to tell. Right. I listen you know I would love to just tell stories about Dr. Strange like banishing demons and kicking ass but like magic has a price now and so we gotta tell like me andering stories in which Dr.
Strange can't do any of the cool things because magic has a cause. Right and honestly in this is what is so perplexing about this book in particular because you got the Waid main story three way back. Three way back ups yeah. The Waid main story.
Strange is acting in like like is though he were in novice in a way not like in his knowledge but in his like mistreatment of things and like his understanding of the concept that there's a balance because like I'll be on that now who cares for it. And I'm like what? And then in the back ups one of them is telling him his origin. So it's I can't really count that but the other two are much more like here's Dr.
Strange a knowledgeable like the man who like has like the ability to go from place to place and solve problems and he knows how to fix things and you know what I mean. I don't understand what he wait is doing right now. So anyway um so Strange is like well the Angel one's dying because like he doesn't have the knowledge of magic to sustain himself any longer and so like I have to help him by re-teaching and magic and I'll try to give him some of my own life. I just go like this guy like this should be everything.
And he's just like I don't I don't understand how he had the patience to teach me. No Strange is had apprentices before. And so he's like I don't have the type of patience that he did when he taught me. He also probably had like medical students under him at some point.
Right and so like what he does is he tries to teach him things within a week as all he has to learn or left and then he like uses the avocamado to probe his like body and brain to see if any traits of magic can go by the guy and he goes off and he finds the guy and when he gets there he ends up in a like men in black style cubicle office space. That's a great look at page though. It's kind of cool. I think it's cool.
I don't think it's cool at all. The best just me because basically there's a magical accountant. Oh no. And so like he's been like trying to keep the books in balance and like Strange is like way out of balance and so like they took his magic away earlier.
Yeah, I remember that story. When he just started with that that was all because of this guy. Okay. And so yeah he's like now like I took your friends.
Like I took Wong and Kana and Zilma and I'm gonna give it to like the people that the powers would be like those that you like Kandra like the faulting and like all that like they need retribution. What? And so like you have to give it. We're gonna give it to them.
And so then Strange like fights back. He's like he's like oh now he's like magical things. You create it. I'll screw it.
You're making it worse. We're just making it worse. So then he fights him quite like physically fighting him because he can't get mad at here. So he's just punctures him a lot which at least he's like throw back because he's just like Wong taught me how to fight right and I'll use it.
And I'm like okay cool. Yeah. Thank you. I guess that's neat.
So then like at the end of the day like he frees his friends and then Dormamu shows up and he's just like he's like you're you you've totally like the accounts like he screwed everything. Why? He's like he's like he's totally. Who is he?
You're you your debts are gigantic and they're huge. Who do you come from? Do the agent want to know who he was? Do Dormamu?
No. What do Dormamu does I guess? Does Mordo know? He's not there.
I know. Like where do you come from? What the hell? He's just created a thing that he thought was kitchen and cool and fun and maybe he'll have like some sort of crazy explanation of it seemingly was just wouldn't that be neat.
Maybe Dormamu will kill him and he raised that whole area. And then Dormamu was like ah like you know you screwed up. I'm working with the 14. I'm going to destroy your planet.
Does Dormamu work with the 14? He is one. Okay. And so yeah they're screwed and like strangers like we're gonna lose.
It's all over. And I'm like it's not you're just doing that for Drenic fact. Yeah. It's fine.
The other guy that's in of it isn't his origin. There's two. And I like to have a two. I like they're really fun.
Strangers summoned to like a Far East town surface. And there's a guy there who was going to be an apprentice of Strange going to be an apprentice of strangers. Don't forget I said earlier. Didn't have the patience to have an apprentice to train the ancient one.
He's like I don't know how he did it. I don't know how he did it. This guy he wanted to train him to strange and strange wouldn't take him on because of like his attitude and like his recklessness because like this guy had these like magical like stones and what have you like not infinity. Nope.
But just another thing. And he left it around and his son got hold of it and he's being bullied. And he's like I thought if I showed it to them they would think I was really cool but then they tried to steal it from me and they started beating me up again. So I started to wish that they would go away for everyone and get pulled into it and they're trapped in there.
And so Strange has to go in there. He finds the kid and then like the little boy follows him in there and like saves his friend and like he's just like they get out and like Strange is like I thought you were bullied by him. He's like yeah I realize it doesn't matter how much time it's a jerk but he should help them. And Strange is like that's really cool when he leaves.
And I was like that's a nice story. Strange just goes in there and like does this thing. And then the other backup that isn't the retelling of his origin which is just the retelling of his origin is it's a fun beautifully like rendered very short story about Nightmare. Nightmare is like being haunted by the voice of Stephen Strange.
This is the last like you know I'm coming for you. I'm tired of your seams. Like oh you're trapped in this crazy corner and there's one doorway that'll let you out. He keeps going through all these doors.
And he's like you said there was one door. He's like I lied. And then he like wakes up. Nightmare fell asleep.
And like his forces were like oh I'm so sorry like we were like in such a battle that we thought that you should sleep because you seem so tired. And he's just like I told you to never allow me to sleep. Like never ever he like kills one of them. Okay never let me.
That's cool. I don't understand how we can craft a short story like that. And we're getting the main story just isn't a strong for me. I don't know.
Maybe it's because they're short. That could be it. It's just more interesting. You know and it's it's like he's so beholden to this concept that we've gotten past already.
Right. And I don't get that. So I don't know. There you go.
That's it. That's all I got. Awesome. So is it recommend for me?
No. No it's not but it's just I recognize that it's not for me. Exactly. It's not for me.
I don't know. But there might be a lot there who dig it. But like I don't. David says Marvel needs an anime immortal book as she is.
Yes. She's a creature of religion. Make her herald of Galactus. She was before.
Just do it again. Troy to the max says hey or saying hey the best looking comic couple on YouTube. Well thank you. That's very nice.