After tons and tons of adventures and misadventures, Carol needs a goshdarn break. Will she and her friends have a normal game night? Okay, we know the answer to that. Cat and Christi dive into this one off issue by Kelly Thompson, Francesco Manna, Carlos Lopez, and Clayton Cowles!
Cat Purcell: I would like to start out by saying that after all of . . . . everything I was really looking forward to comics again. To tide me over during the break in Captain Marvel, I ended up buying Thompson’s Storykiller. It was enjoyable, but didn’t quite hit the fix I was missing. I’d been looking forward to this issue for a LONG WHILE, whatever it had in store.
Christina Eddleman: Just knowing we were in for a fun, game night issue made waiting that much harder. What I wouldn’t give to sit at an actual table with friends again. This issue delivered that hit of nostalgia no one could have predicted we’d need. I can’t wait to get into all of the wonderful warm fuzzies!
The Good Friendships
CE: I’ve really come to appreciate the strength of the friendships Thompson has depicted throughout this run. This issue we get to see some of the friendships Thompson has previously utilized: Jessica Drew, Monica Rambeau, and Jennifer Takeda. But we also get to see Carol’s long-time friend and former partner, Wolverine, as well as fan-turned-friend, Kamala Khan. Carol works best paired with those she cares about, and I really appreciate this friend-filled issue.
CP: Yeah, reading this in the midst of a pandemic made the group hang out all the more special to me. The idea of Logan joining game night is just delicious. I feel like he’d be the curmudgeon who slyly tries to let someone else win and still complain about it. That being said, he needs to work on his nicknames. I was not impressed with everyone just being “kid”. But seeing him support the younger teammates with Carol, even if it was a tad unwilling was that fun uncle we all wish we had. And honestly, I came into Carol through Kamala, so getting to see her invited to a game night was adorable.
CE: The dynamics of the group were such friend goals. I would like to imagine myself as a Jessica, slumming it in sweatpants and complaining about parenthood, but I also find a strong appeal in Kamala’s earnestness and desire to please her friends. As I’m currently writing in sweats after a tiring day of parenting, I think it’s clear where I ultimately fall. Thompson’s dialogue here sets an easy tone and gives a such a natural feel to the group. Which friend would you be, Cat?
CP: I totally get that and I was 100% screaming inside my heart with everything Jessica said. But I actually found myself drawn to Hazmat this time around. First, I legitimately have her exact hoodie in teal, even if it is too hot to wear right now. But as someone who is already back to work in a public library, I really related to her ability/fear of spreading her contagion around. To get to see her use it in a helpful, less harmful way this issue really stuck with me. And for the others to initially prevent and protect her from “leaking” to then it being the key that takes the bad guy down, it was powerful!
The Bad Nerds
CP: Nexus is such an interestingly named character, not only from the standpoint of what he ends up doing with our heros, but also as sort of the core of what a toxic geek looks like. Doing dangerous things to people to get your fav’s attention isn’t a good look.
CE: After a villain as ominous and otherworldly as Vox, it’s certainly a change of pace to experience everything that is THE NEXUS. He was instantly recognizable for all of the wrong reasons. The combo of the hooded robe, extensive figurine collection, and questionable facial hair sent up warning signs left and right.
CP: Right!? That being said, he was also the perfect villain to run an Escape Room and I loved it. I’m sure for the non-mutants who went, they got exactly the thrill they came for and I can’t blame him for utilizing his skills to make a career out of it. But do entice his heroes in to put them in danger with zero reflection on how that might come out is something we see all too often.
CE: He is certainly a very clear analogue for problems that plague fandom, the desire to be noticed and interact with our heroes without regard to the fact that their engagement is not obligatory. This makes Kamala’s presence in this issue that much more important – a fan in stark contrast to The Nexus, they are two sides of the same coin.
The Ugly Game Choices
CE: Thompson did a lot of things really well in this issue, however we need to examine the choice of games for game night. The fact that escape rooms turned evil being already done in Squirrel Girl #32 aside, I expected Kamala to have a better selection of games! We see what are stand-ins for Monopoly, Twister, Settlers of Catan, Parcheesi, and Trivial Pursuit in her arms, a rather pedestrian selection for a noted nerd.
CP: I agree. Aside from Settlers, I thought a lot of those choices weren’t ones I would find on the list the teens I run into today play. To be fair, I really was a touch surprised she didn’t at least bring a D&D handbook or something! Suggesting an Escape Room would be in line for her though and to see her walk into the older crowd play a round of Poker gave me some nostalgic Next Generation vibes, which I appreciated.
CE: I do appreciate that though Kamala hauled all of those games to game night, she instantly felt they were unworthy to usurp poker as the evening’s activity. I agree that an exclusive escape room would be exactly what she would hope would impress her friends, while being precisely not what they wanted to do. I am glad the group eventually found a good time at trivia night.
CP: Yes! I might have pumped my fist by myself on my porch reading their winning answer with the dorkiest grin on my face. Seeing a game that worked for all of them, including giving Logan a beer was a treat!
CE: I expected nothing less than this fun-filled issue from Thompson, but also enjoyed the guest art team of Manna and Lopez. The art fit the vibrant and fun tone of the issue, delivering spot on faces and dynamic coloring. This is an enjoyable, light-hearted read before we plunge into Empyre.
CP: Over all this was such a fun issue. Anyone can pick it up and get a kick out of it without being core fans. It’s a good intro issue but it is also a good issue to develop those character building points in a fun way for anyone who is a fan of Carol, Logan, Jessica, or Kamala and more. It was also such a balm for all of the stuff that’s been going on globally and in comics in general right now. It was the exact issue I needed at this moment.
Marvelous Musings
- Aren’t we all Jessica right now, refusing to change out of our sweatpants?
- Wolverine may have a Jean, but he doesn’t have a wife.
- All the ragging on the game choices aside, seeing this group play Twister would be a riot. – Seconded!
- Captain America’s butt will never not be funny.
Cat Purcell is a Career Services Librarian, cosplayer, artist, and massive coffee consumer.
Christi Eddleman is the world’s first Captain Kate Pryde cosplayer and co-host of Chrises On Infinite Earths.
