Uncanny Avengers #10

Previously in Uncanny Avengers (2015): Hank Pym returned after a vacation in space while he was merging with his son, Ultron. While Rogue seemed to be a bit iffy on the ordeal, it seemed she enjoyed the new childlike wonderment Hank Pym was bringing back to Earth. Steve Rogers, a little more wary, decided to call in the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, for some reason. And Deadpool was making jokes that were less than funny, or weren't funny at all. 

So this was the book that got me to read the arc we're looking at now, and it has everything to do with the cover. I'll go over my full thoughts on it in a moment, but I jumped at the book once I saw it, making the instant connection to Rage of Ultron in my head. I'd been looking forward to a sequel to that book for a good while, and was so elated to see that Marvel was actually going to follow up on it, rather than let it slide under the rug as part of some continuity brush off Secret Wars could have provided.

Speaking of which, this is one of the few comics in a while, probably to mention both of those stories in one, although one instance is a bit out of left-field for the story, but makes sense and does inform readers on the whereabouts of two chief characters in the Marvel Universe. 

In this issue, we get a bit more of a reason to see why the Uncanny Avengers title was slated to carry this story arc. Mostly, it's because of the light-hearted humor and goofiness that another, more serious, Marvel book may not have provided. After all, a major revelation in the book is made after a character dodges a movie reference. Deadpool also makes better jokes this issue, and the book does start off with some exhilarating action. 

A story with just tension and no fun isn't what most people want to see in a comic book, much less one produced by Marvel. General audiences are beginning to align Marvel with the goofier ends of comics, expecting characters like Deadpool and Rocket Raccoon to constantly make us laugh. Having a story about a man combating his killer robot kid just about the drama and dynamic of it all is interesting, but not all that fun. It seems like Gerry Duggan and Pepe Larraz are going for that in both of their styles to tell this story, where Larraz stands out more as he gives the characters a certain life Duggan seems to not. That idea comes as almost an opposite from last issue, but there are still some imperfections here and there. 

First, though, comes the cover analysis! 

The cover is nothing really all that special outside of the, um, spoiler stamped on the top right corner. I think we could've figured it all out with just the image, which is a great one, by the way. Ultron consuming Hank Pym is metaphorically and literally awesome. I just love the panicked expression of Pym desperately trying to grab control away from Ultron while Ultron's smug smile overwhelms Pym's face. I don't get what all the wiring is for, though. It's like it's supposed to constrain Ultron, but, wouldn't that be an internal struggle? I would've liked it more if the wires were more veiny, as if Ultron were trying to physically escape Pym's body. 

Our story opens with a...thing...attacking people in a New York subway while two of the Unity Squad members, Rogue and Voodoo, try to wrangle it. 

As Tom Holland's Spider-Man would say: "YOU HAVE A METAL ARM?"

So how old is Rogue supposed to be here? I'm actually not sure, and the art doesn't help me at all. I think she's in her 20s, but, she's drawn much more like a teenager. It's drawn well, giving her a concerned expression, but the art seems to flip-flop on giving her a matured look from a youthful look. Just something that pulls me out of the story real quick and makes me not think about a blind metal-armed monster in a New York subway.

Apparently this is also what happens when Deadpool and his wife, Shiklah, argue. I imagine that means one of them has access to inter-dimensional portals of some kind, but, why would Deadpool just leave one hanging around for his wife to use? Granted I haven't read anything with Deadpool and Shiklah together, so I don't if he and her go gallivanting through portals at a regular rate, but I think, now that he's joined the Avengers and runs a multi-million dollar mercenary company, that he would be just a little more responsible. 

Then again, this is Deadpool. Shiklah probably sicced the monster on him. 

Voodoo and Rogue manage to wrestle the monster into place before we get our first look at Pym as a returned "Avenger." 

Pym used Sky-Uppercut! Critical Hit! 

I use the term "Avenger" lightly because it's unclear whether or not the Unity Squad is a faction of the Avengers or their own thing. Captain America Steve Rogers in Issue 9 makes not that they aren't Avengers, but it seems like everyone else calls themselves Avengers. I guess it's a case of "Justice League of America" versus "Justice League" from the New 52. Except this is better by a bit.

We get a little more of Pym's childlike attitude, as it seems he wants to do nothing more than punch some monsters. Can't blame the guy, really, since he does want to earn a spot back on the team and the best way to do that now is defeat the bad guys. Although, that is a pretty stupid method. I mean if Ultron were infecting Pym's body (see the cover) then it would be all too easy for him to assert his own strength and overpower the monsters. 

Why not run some tests, have him answer some personal questions Ultron could never know? If their minds are merged then that might be a little easier, but then you make him undertake some more human tests. Sure, Hank Pym was never the most human guy, but he did wear his emotions on his sleeves at times. Janet and Steve could probably tell right away if some tests were run on him. Rogue and Voodoo haven't spent nearly enough time with him in the past to know if Ultron would be tricking them or not. 

But speaking of Janet, we get to see her zipping around again as the Wasp, taking down the remaining monsters and throwing a quick Ghostbusters reference at Pym. 

It's cool to see Janet back as the Wasp, though I can't say it was unexpected. Getting her back in the Wasp costume is always great to see, and it's a return that actually makes sense for this book. She's been a member of the Unity Squad before, even going so far as to fund them while she was and then wasn't a member. While Pym has never been a member, she's at least familiar with the roster enough to know how everyone works. Maybe that's why they decided to have her in this book, but the Wasp would later join the All-New, All-Different Avengers, so, why not just put her on that team? 

There, again, is a roster full of people who witnessed the events of Rage of Ultron and were on the actual Avengers team alongside Hank Pym. Janet knows Vision and Tony Stark pretty darn well, and probably worked well with Sam Wilson and Thor Jane Foster. There's also levity on that team with the three younger members, so the book wouldn't be completely joyless. 

As we see when this very issue proceeds, the focus is much less on the Unity Squad and becomes more on Hank, Steve, and Janet. Why couldn't it have been Hank, Janet, and Vision? Grandpa, grandma, grandson? It's the family dynamic that makes most Ultron stories fun. Think about it: prior to Rage of Ultron, Age of Ultron was the most marquee Ultron event in recent years and suffered terribly because it didn't focus on Ultron's family. We don't see much at all, and when we do, he's probably being killed by someone. 

But, I should note that when the focus is on Hank and Janet it's pretty good and Duggan sells to you that these two have been in love and do care for each other. This genuinely feels like two old flames catching up with one another, since life has just been the worst to them recently. 

Pym, when he's talking with her, is awkward. He speaks plainly, but not in a mean way. He doesn't know what to say to someone so close to him after such a long time. 

But what Duggan does well is trick you, lulling you into a safe place. He makes you forget that Pym is wearing an Ultron suit, and makes you forget completely about what the heck the cover looks like...except for one detail. And it is in the dialogue, but it's all wrapped around one word: "we." "We were Avengers out there." "We're different now." "We both wanted to change." 

Pym is very much, at this moment, suffering from what Smeagal became after he attempted to banish the Ring's presence from him in The Two Towers. He constantly refers to himself as "we" instead of "I" despite there being no other entity residing in his mind, right? It makes you wonder how much of the fight Pym actually one and if Ultron may let him win, let him take the body so he could consume the mind. After all, like we see in The Two Towers, it doesn't take much for Gollum to return. Just a misunderstanding. 

But where the dialogue is subtle, the artwork is confusing. Not confusing like "I don't know what's going on make it stop" but confusing like "is this lazy or good?" 

Larraz will draw the city-scape around our characters and it looks well, it looks incredibly hand-drawn. But other times there's just flushed out colors behind Janet and Pym, or some regular, boring building behind them with no life to it. It places the focus on the characters, sure, but there are weird splotches on the backgrounds that almost look like thumbprints so I'm left to wonder if the artist or colorist started playing around with the panels while they were printed. 

Not to mention that Larraz draws Janet's face about five different ways. She's square-jawed, round-faced, her hair is to the left, then to the right, and probably the strangest of all...

She becomes a Vulcan, what? 

The art for Pym is pretty congruent throughout, whereas it was a bit strange last issue, so perhaps it's just Larraz working out which style for Janet is best. I mean, her overall appearance is consistent, so it's not like I'm confused who exactly she is from panel-to-panel. 

No, we leave that to Hank Pym, who, according to Janet, isn't at all who he says he is. 

Janet meets back up with Steve Rogers nearby and claims that Ultron has completely taken over. How does she assess this? 

Well, remember how I said she casually tossed a Ghostbusters reference. Pym didn't get the reference at all, which automatically means he's Ultron. Plus she mentioned a beach that he can't stand, but said he would love to go to. 

Now, you may be saying, "Those are the worst ways of checking for someone's identity!" To which I will ask: "As if the security passcode for any of your Apple IDs is any smarter or more complex."

That and his will says, clearly, "DO NOT RESUSCITATE." Jeez Pym really wanted to avoid Secret Wars, didn't he? Eh, can't blame him. Didn't really miss much, anyway. 

Steve and Janet decide to mobilize the Unity Squad of Avengers after they both confirm their fears that it's truly Ultron parading around in Pym's body. See, guys, Ghostbusters can save the world, even in a Marvel comic. 

Back at the base, Johnny Storm and Cable are discussing the mysterious fates of Susan and Reed, who, last we checked, have been displaced from time to spend the rest of their days creating new universes for Marvel to pump out money into. Of course, there's no telling if they come back or not, which is actually an interesting idea. 

Seeing as Cable is from the future, you would think he knows. But Susan and Reed aren't within the realms of any timeline right now. They could pop into any of the universes they've made and start new lives, possibly even relive this entire experience and, if they made the universe correctly, nobody would know otherwise. They are the temporal distortions in all reality, now. So their whereabouts shouldn't be known by anyone except for the Living Tribunal and One Above All, and maybe the Beyonders. Except the Living Tribunal is now Adam Warlock, and the Beyonders are dead. Oh, and Owen Reece, but he's the one powering all these universes. 

Anyway, as they discuss, Deadpool stops by to straighten out their priorities. 

Would you believe me if I told you Deadpool was the center of dramatic tension at the end of this issue based on this panel?

Pym arrives, making fun of Reed Richards better than 20th Century Fox ever could, but Cable doesn't seem too happy with him. In another subtle message, Cable received a tattoo on his shoulder saying "Janet Flunked Hank," indicating that Hank isn't the Ghostbusters fan we all thought he was.

As Cable continues to push him, Hank goes into a coughing fit until he finally spits up massive amounts of...something (I can't tell what, because if it's blood then it's all done in a silhouette and if it's black then...cool). And then, our best buddy, best friend forever, ally to good, nightmare to evil shows up!

I'd hang out with him. Seems relaxed, chilled out. 

Also: "We tried it the boring way...now we go LOUD?" 

LAME. 

Steve and Janet arrive as Pymtron blows up the building, although Deadpool managed to survive without a single scratch. Janet launches an EMP at him, disabling the suit temporarily. 

Ah, and here we are. The moment of HIGHEST tension. Steve Rogers begs the man with the gun not to shoot, as the Avengers don't take lives! 

Yeah, okay, whatever. 

However, Janet is begging him to take the shot, to end the monstrosity that's wearing her ex-husband's skin and pretending to be their noble friend and ally Hank Pym! 

And who is this lone gunman, the man with which all of the marbles are placed? 

Deadpool. 

So does this ending come as a surprise to anyone? 

No, of course not. 

And do we think Pymtron is going to go down to a single bullet? 

Okay, good. 

This comic is a little better than Issue 9 if only for the second act, where Pym/ Janet talk, Steve/ Janet talk, and Cable/ Johnny talk. The conversations are interesting and each have their little bits of subtly to them that cleverly hint at both events to come later on in the stories as well as in this individual issue. Deadpool is a tad funnier, though not as funny as one would hope. The beginning with the stuff on the train is cool enough, but it's the reveal that Janet is back in the Wasp suit for now that's the real kicker. 

Larraz picks it up on the art duties for some of the characters, like Pym and Steve, but hasn't quite gotten Janet or Rogue down properly yet. Rogue may be a tougher character considering his style and I think he just needs to find that one way to draw Janet better. Still, his backgrounds outside of some conversations or close-ups are good and the costumes on all the characters stand out and are unique, possibly definitive, versions of the characters for now. Pymtron still has a cool design, anyway. 

Next time, we continue our look at this story, and see what dastardly deeds Pymtron has in store for us. Who knows, maybe another one of the main Avengers will drop by? 

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Twitter: @seanovan13

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Review of: Issue 9/Part One

Review of: Issue 11/Part Three

Review of: Issue 12/Part Four