Cain Marko goes to court in Juggernaut #3. Written by Fabian Nicieza, penciled by Ron Garney, colored by Matt Milla, and lettered by Joe Sabino the third issue of Marko’s miniseries finds him facing down a small claims court thanks to the fallout of his iconic first duel with Spider-Man. But forces outside of the court and Marko’s own recent past aren’t done with the unstoppable ex-baddie, bleeding into the trial and spilling onto the streets with all the power and potency of the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak.
Justin Partridge: In the super-criminal justice system, the supers are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: The Damage Control who clean up after the supers and the district attorneys who prosecute the super-offenders. These are their stories. WENK-WENK!
Tony Thornley: DUN-DUN! What a change of pace of an issue! Let’s jump right in!
Law & Order: Marvel Comics Unit
JP: So as my ham-fisted bit above portends, Cain has been hauled in front of a New York City judge, his Damage Control handlers and super-powered millennial [Ed. note: Gen Z?] ward D-Cel providing character witnesses.
But as the tremendous opening splash from Garney and Milla shows. He isn’t being tried for anything we’ve seen in the series so far. He’s being tried for the events of “Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut!”. The two-part Roger Stern/John Romita Jr. joint from The Amazing Spider-Man #229 and #230 in which Peter Parker trapped Juggernaut in a block of concrete FOR A WHOLE YEAR.
It is…truly insane and even more unexpected but all the while immensely delightful. What did you think, Tony?
TT: I love that we get a callback to probably the most famous Juggernaut story here. This could have been just a generic “hey you wrecked my building, imma sue!” However Fabian deftly ties it to “Nothing Can Stop…” and makes sure that the story is rooted in those events throughout.
Can we also acknowledge that we are now three for three on “amazing opening spreads” now? Garney and Milla’s Juggernaut vs Spidey looks fantastic. Even if this series ends up as a mostly forgettable lark (which it hasn’t been), I think it’ll be worth it for these opening art moments. Also, this is another issue that we’re getting Garney revisiting one of his more famous runs with Spidey. We get Cap and Wolverine in the next two issues and I think he’ll have revisited his entire Marvel career.
Also, Bernie Rosenthal! When was the last time Bernie popped up in a comic? Maybe a Waid issue of Captain America? [Ed. note: Our colleagues have pointed out she’s shown up in the current volume of Captain America. Carry on.] This is just a packed couple of pages here.
JP: YEAH, MAN, it’s all tremendous stuff. And just speaks more toward the wry emergent style that this series has started to blossom through the previous installment and this issue. Again we have another single color “recap” page, deftly recapping the TASM issues in a bold typeface and then BAM. Yet another STUNNING splash from Garney and Milla right from the jump. It is bold, almost alchemically simple comic book’ing and I am very much here for it.
AND THEN like you said, it starts gettin’ REAL freaking weird and surprisingly introspective. All centered around those two issues from the summer of ‘82! We talked a little last column about how this series has kind of just been Nicieza riffing on stuff, either bowling Cain off of some foil or engaging in some Marvel infused weirdness centered around Cain’s recent backstory. HERE especially is where that sort of riffing really shines. It’s a The People’s Court episode in the Marvel Universe.
Does ALL of this stuff work? Of course not, and we will get into it a bit later, but just on the surface level, with this kinda wry, self-aware character comedy unfolding around Cain in the present, Juggernaut #3 has won me back to the series in a BIG way.
TT: And you thought that was a blast from the past. The courtroom is attacked by a living sandstorm. Naturally you think Sandman. But no. It’s Quicksand, a Thor and Thunderbolts villain who hasn’t shown up in any significant role since maybe 2012 (at least according to the Marvel wiki). And she’s angry. And… German?
Yeah, there’s something wrong with her.
The Quest For Cyttorak Continues
JP: That said, however, we now start to get into the stuff that works less for me.
As the case in the present unfolds, Nicieza and the art team bring us back to the “before”, back on Cain’s quest to regain his lost power and armor.
Hiking to the nebulous cliffs of North Korea, Cain discovers the Forge of Cyttorak, where a madman has forged ribbons from the leavings of the Crimson Bands, forming a sort of proto-armor pieces that look oddly like the ones Cain is rockin’ now.
Once again, surface level, this is great stuff. It is speaking to the odd, slightly fussy world of Marvel magic that I really mark out for and it is giving us some neat context as to what Cain was up to post-resurrection. I will let Tony speak a little more on it, before I start being a buzz-kill.
TT: I really liked this scene, but I totally get what you mean. I mean, the team could have gone stereotypical Asian mysticism here by setting it in Korea. However, we get instead insight into some general mysticism of the Marvel universe. And it’s something we don’t see enough in the Marvel U- regular people worshipping the elder gods and demons of the universe.
This smith using magic to harness the power of Cyttorak, while clearly worshipping him in a very unique way? It’s a VERY cool idea.
JP: NO, that is actually really great. Plus I always love the idea of people getting roped into the weird mysticism and artifacts of the Marvel universe and being just caught in their thrall. Like the fact that MULTIPLE cults have sprung up around the world in regards to the Serpent Crown is just like…candy to me.
BUT that said, I am finding myself less and less interested in this overarching plot surrounding his regaining of the armor. The first interlude at the crossroads was very evocative and had a nice panache to it. But I am wondering if this plot is suffering from the “too much explaining stuff” curse that plagues prestige TV and “prequel/side-sequels”.
TT: See, and as much as I like it, I have to agree. This side story’s pages ground the much more interesting “A” story down to a crawl a couple times. I almost wonder if the flashbacks should have been a back-up at the end of the book, rather than weaving into the A story.
JP: Like it’s Fine because it’s spooky and weird, but I feel like it is dragging down the pacing and energy of the present day stuff, which I’m far more into.
I dunno, this could just be nitpicky. This next bit is FOR SURE nitpicky.
Not A Mutant
TT: I’m so glad we agreed to talk about this as one of our topics. I mean the issue hints at heady and complex issues, but they’re all teases for next issue. But this little detail…
Is D-Cel lying about not being a mutant?
JP: YA KNOW, I genuinely didn’t think so until this issue. Which is…kinda the point, but I’m dumb.
TT: If Fabian brings it around to that, and reveals this as a stealth Dawn of X mini, I’ll be pleasantly surprised. It poses a question of how the world views Krakoa as a new global power, for positive and negative. First in the last issue we get Charles saying “nope, not a mutant, you’re out” to Cain. Now we get a young mutant denying her heritage. But why? Any guesses?
JP: I DUNNO! But it is EVER so fun to talk about.
As we have danced around it, we may as well just say, D-Cel is explicitly named as “not a mutant” in this issue. After the court proceedings are busted up by Quicksand, who seems to be aiming to kidnap D-Cel for some nefarious purposes, D-Cel bucks against her mutantdom which is then doubled down on from dialogue from Damage Control agents on scene.
It is…an interesting turn, especially since like you said, We just had Xavier last issue explicitly telling CAIN that he is un-mutant and should therefore not even get NEAR Krakoa. It also, like you also said, speaks to intention. Why would D-Cel lie about that? What could she gain from it?
TT: Or maybe the question is what did Krakoa do to hurt her?
JP: We have gotten tastes of how the founding of Krakoa has rippled through the world, but has that had any effect on street-level goings on? Have the day-to-day citizenry felt anything at all after they were awarded new gods? It is interesting stuff and stuff I hope Nicieza follows up on before the series’ end.
But my nitpick. Fabian’s dialogue for D-Cel in this issue reeeeeally grated on me this time. I feel like had he cut two of the jokes about how she has her phone up all the time, it wouldn’t have bugged me as much, but it felt very Old Man Yelling At Clouds this time around.
Nitpicks aside, another VERY solid, often really charming issue of Juggernaut. Who woulda thunk, right?
X-Traneous Thoughts
- I will say, as much as the flashback stuff drug for Justin this week, it WAS cool seeing the origins of Cain’s new, awesomely designed costume.
- Who are some other random side characters Nicieza should bring back into the fold here? What’s the Elf-With-A-Gun from Defenders doing? Or is Harold H. Harold alive again?
- Definitely refreshing to see a lawyer who isn’t Daredevil or She-Hulk in a Marvel universe courtroom.
- Black Tom Watch: Still zero. We are very disappointed.
Tony Thornley is a geek dad, blogger, Spider-Man and Superman aficionado, X-Men guru, autism daddy, amateur novelist, and all around awesome guy. He’s also very humble.
