Marvel Pick Of The Week – Feb 1, 2017: Monsters Unleashed
By Matt Conner
Monsters Unleashed continues to impress, a fun event bringing out the heroic best in Marvel’s rich stable and Jack Kirby’s legacy.
Pick Of The Week: Monsters Unleashed #2, by Cullen Bunn and Greg Land
Monsters Unleashed #1 surprised me with its charm and inspiration. After months of grim and hopeless, Marvel’s heroes finally team up to punch giant monsters. This week keeps the momentum going.
After the initial shock of Kirby creatures crashing from space, Earth’s heroes have coordinated their efforts. Spider-Man helps the communications web. Captain Marvel takes out priority threats in space. Thor assists the Guardians in San Diego. And Captain America calls the plays. But the true fight may come down to Elsa Bloodstone and a Chicago pre-teen.
The heroism in these pages astounds. People like Miles Morales admit their fear but still jump into battle against a lizard the size of a casino. Warring Inhumans and mutants stick to their own teams, but they coordinate attacks as Sam Wilson directs. This is, almost literally, bigger than their differences.
Greg Land takes over art duties from Steve McNiven. Yes, some of the women look extra sexy, but the bulk of the art focuses on the immense scale of these monster attacks. Each beast has beautiful texturing, and the superheroes look amazing.
Cullen Bunn could not have predicted how much we’d need this story in 2017. Americans feel broken and scared, no matter how they voted. And this straightforward story inspires. If this many people around the world can drop their issues with a Black Captain America, who knows what they can learn next? I hope we can learn without Kirby monsters eating us. Fingers crossed.
Honorable Mentions:
Laura Kinney: Mutant. Hero. Fashion Police.
Nadia can tell great Ultron jokes and then untangle her own bizarre family tree.
Hopeless’s redemption of Kid Cyclops almost took Pick Of The Week. Scott found out what really happened to his older self. And I can’t wait to read his revenge.
This week, I really needed to see four brave teens rescuing people from a burning mosque. Let’s follow their example, Americans.
Kate Bishop throws amazing dialogue while rocking a Dazzler sweatshirt and I am pretty sure we are already best friends.