So, a confession: I saw a total of one (1) season of Game of Thrones. The first season. I never finished it. This, apparently, is a good thing, as I never got disappointed by the last few seasons.
Everything I know about the series, the lexicon that stretches from “Winter is Coming” to “Dracarys,” picked up from context clues pervasive in my social circles.
A few years ago I came across the end of an episode I hadn’t seen. I was transfixed, completely engrossed in the action, the drama, the reanimated corpses, the look of utter horror and despair.
The episode was “Hardhome”, and while I had no real context for what was going on, not much was needed to enjoy.
There is a lot going on in the Marvel universe: the Rise of Krakoa, the unification of the Kree/Skrull empire, endless deaths of kings and resurrections of monsters Gods. Much of this, well, ALL of this is referenced in this issue. X-Men Red has been successful, If not superb because while context helps flesh out what’s going on, a new reader can consistently find something to engage and engross them, making every issue a great point at which to jump on the journey.
Except here. Issue #8, for all its revelations and set-ups, doesn’t really yield enjoyment – or even appreciation – unless you have night-encyclopedia ish knowledge of what’s been happening on SWORD (the economic impact of Mysterium), Guardians of the Galaxy (the cameo from the Prince of Power and Blackjack O’Hare), Annihilation (the consistent praise of Richard Ryder), Marauders (the trials and tribulations of Xandra), and AXE (the absence of Storm). [Ed. note: Not to mention long forgotten, and not well loved at the time, plot points from 2017’s Royals and Inhumans: Judgement Day]
There’s little character development, but lots of exposition, with Brand giving a Bond-villain-like explainer of her plan via data page, and with Cable giving background to his crew (but really to the audience) about how they’re going to extract revenge. His voice here is bereft of personality – he might as well have been a data page too.
To be fair, exposition may be necessary given all of the moving parts (and given these are plot threads that have been inactive for months), but that doesn’t make it enjoyable. Seeing the first interaction between Weaponless Zen and her sister Korra feels underwhelming; the war crimes committed by the Kree at the secret behest of the Shi’ar feel arbitrarily introduced (though, notably, Xandra taking responsibility where her father certainly wouldn’t is notable and commendable); the plan (or what parts of the plan we see) to find what Brand did with the piece of Cable’s techno-organic virus taken by Orbis feels purposefully obtuse.
That’s not to say there aren’t high points: learning the root of Gabriel’s psychosis was a long play by Brand was genuinely shocking; that she planned for him to die so his instability would become more prominent post resurrection was a completely unexpected revelation. It’s worth noting that Brand is a person who’s never been shy about appreciating their own brilliance. How much of this was a plan, and how much of this was a pivot may not matter much.
This issue was much more of a series of set-ups than any satisfying execution; and given the successive executions (ha) that happened in issues past, this issue feels unsatisfying in comparison.
But that’s OK. Every issue can’t be a home run; every episode can’t be a “Hardhome”. This is still the best regular series in the X-Line, and I’m still eagerly awaiting next month’s payoff to this month’s set up.
A proud New Orleanian living in the District of Columbia, Jude Jones is a professional thinker, amateur photographer, burgeoning runner and lover of Black culture, love and life. Magneto and Cyclops (and Killmonger) were right.
Find more of Jude’s writing here.
