March had its fair share of memorable comic book moments.
The month of February gave comic book fans some intense comic book moments. On the DC Comics side of things, DC Future State ended. During that series, Wonder Woman restarted the universe, Luke Fox was a traitor, and Lex Luthor got played by Lois Lane and Superman.
Marvel Comics had some great moments too. Eddie Brock became Captain Universe, Daredevil resisted Knull’s control, and there was a mole in S.W.O.R.D.
March continued all of that comic book momentum by giving comic book fans some important moments as well. Let’s begin.
12. Are they mutants?
Comic book: Children of the Atom No. 1
This comic book starts with five young heroes stopping a robbery. What makes this special is that they’re dressed like classic X-Men. After they save the day, three X-Men show up and offer them a place in Krakoa. The young heroes decline saying that they have lives they can’t leave. We later find out it’s because they can’t walk through the Krakoan gates.
Why is this important?
Originally, this writer assumed they couldn’t get in because they aren’t mutants. That may not be the case, though. We know that some mutants can’t walk through the gates (among them is Kate Pryde) but it may not have anything to do with them not having the mutant gene. Then again, why call the series Children of the Atom? Could it be to throw readers off? Are they a new kind of mutants? Are they clones (Odin’s eye, let’s hope not). Whatever the reason, we’ll have to wait and see what’s really going on.
11. Gordon gets an offer he can’t refuse
Comic book: The Joker No. 1
James Gordon is back to being in his right mind. He’s no longer under the influence of the Batman Who Laughs (Batman/Superman No. 3) or Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, Gordon is at odds on what to do. He’s running out of money, retired, and won’t work with Bullock as a private investigator. At the end of his rope, he was offered a job that would take care of his money issues. All he’d have to do is find and kill the Joker.
Why is this important?
Despite everything that the Joker has done to the people Jim Gordon loves and Gotham City, the former commissioner didn’t take the offer. You’d assume that this would be an easy decision to make, especially after what the criminal did to his daughter Barbara all those years ago. Still, Gordon has his morals. He’s not going to just kill someone in cold blood even if he believes they may deserve it.
Fans know that Gordon is going to accept the job. It’s part of the story. However, we can assume he’s not going to pull the trigger in the end. Gordon will have to make a decision when he has his gun to Joker’s head but it’s doubtful that he’ll take the shot. There has been too much emphasis on the story of “killing evil.” In the end, this can only end with Joker escaping. Probably via a near death experience. Let’s also remember that Bane will be part of this story too. That’s going to add even more conflict to the story.
10. Official Bat-Family member
Comic book: Harley Quinn No. 1
Harley Quinn has been trying to be a better person for years. Recently, she’s become an important part of the Bat-Family. During Joker War, Harley nursed Batman back to health when Punchline and Joker had him beaten. Later, she helped Batman make the decision to finally let Joker reap what he sowed.
In issue No. 1 of Harley Quinn (written by Stephanie Phillips), we see that Batman fully put his faith in her. It was a small gesture (he bought her a toaster with the Bat-Family symbol), but it’ll make a huge difference for Harley going forward.
Why is this important?
Harley is on a journey to make amends for everyone she hurt while she was with the Joker. She said that Joker War showed her that she enabled him for a long time. Since that war hurt Gotham, she wants to give back. So she made a list of all the people she, as she put it, “ticked off” in Gotham. Among them are the Penguin, Deathstroke, and Poison Ivy. When Batman went to look at Ivy’s file, Harley said she wasn’t ready for that yet.
Harley’s quest is a noble one. It’s unfortunate that she may never get it. Deathstroke and Penguin are stubborn and petty. They won’t forgive her. But, honestly, who cares. They’re not good people. Ivy is the one that will mean the most. When you’ve wronged someone who loves you, they may forgive, but things are never the same. There’s another part as well. Can Harley forgive herself? That will be the biggest hurdle.
9. The final competitors of the Phoenix tournament
Comic book: Avengers No. 43
What better way to begin than with Wolverine fighting the Black Panther? It’s a fight that was teased in the end of the previous Avengers and we weren’t let down either. The two incredible fighters lived up to their reputation. In the end, it was T’Challa who came out victorious. She-Hulk, Shanna the She-Devil, Captain America, the Red Widow, and Namor are the only fighters remaining. The last page shows the next fight we’ll be waiting to see. It will be T’Challa versus Captain America.
Why is this important?
Whoever wins this fight determines who the Phoenix will possess. Black Panther and Steve Rogers don’t want the power, while Namor is obsessed with it. In the middle you have She-Hulk who doesn’t want it, but definitely wants to keep Namor from having it. And who knows what the Red Widow will do with it.
In the end, it’ll probably be Shanna the She-Devil. She’s the one who doesn’t have any major ties to any current Marvel Comics story. Plus, a boost in her character couldn’t hurt. She-Hulk, Captain America, or Black Panther winning could ruin the Avengers run. Namor is unlikely, but possible. He could get the power and then refuse it. Red Widow is also a huge part of the future of the Avengers. So she’s out as well. Like the previous section, we’ll have to wait and see how correct this writer is.
8. Billionaire Boy Wonder
Comic book: Nightwing No. 78
Dick Grayson spent the last few years of his life in hell. He couldn’t remember who he was and did things that he would never do. Among those things was working with the Joker. Thankfully, he got his memory back in time to stop the Joker War. Now that he’s back to normal, Nightwing’s going through the normal motions of protecting Blüdhaven. Normally, he has Bruce Wayne’s money to help fund his operations. Without that, he was wondering where the funding would come from. As quick as he asked, the question was answered: Alfred left him with over a billion dollars.
Why is this important?
There’s no reason any of us should’ve been shocked that Alfred had that much money. Bruce was paying for everything and Alfred doesn’t spend money anyway. Plus, he said the Waynes left him with a lot of their stock as Bruce’s legal guardian. That equated to over a billion dollars. Now, Nightwing doesn’t have to worry about money.
Without having to go to Bruce for anything financially, what will Nightwing do? Sky’s the limit. He can find new ways to protect Blüdhaven without having Bruce micromanaging what he’s doing. He must have things he wanted to try but didn’t. We also have to wonder if anyone else from the Bat-Family will come looking for a loan to help fund their crusades.
7. The Magistrate begins
Comic book: Batman No. 106
One of the most compelling areas of DC Future State may have been the issues in Gotham City. A group called the Magistrate became the peacekeepers of Gotham. The Gotham Police Department still existed, but they were outranked. The Magistrate came in, caused havoc, and didn’t care about the people caught in the crossfire. One of them actually said, “We get paid to take out masks. Collateral damage is for the rest of you.”
This is an alternate reality. As grim as Gotham City is, you’d think that this was going too far. Even if Batman/Bruce Wayne were thought to be dead, someone would stop them. Unfortunately, we don’t know. This is a possible future. In Batman No. 106, we see that this future is more likely than we know.
Why is this important?
It’s doubtful that the complete Future State timeline will take place in DC Comics’ prime reality. There will be some things that pop up. Among them will be the Magistrate and the Peacekeeper armor. It’s just one more obstacle for Batman to overcome. We already know that other things like Red Hood: Future State will have an ongoing series. Who knows. Maybe Batman’s doomed to live out the Future State reality.
6. Bluebird goes after Punchline
Comic book: Joker No. 1
Punchline is the newest protégé of the Joker. She isn’t like Harley Quinn. Sure, she’ll make a joke or two. The difference is Punchline may take the job more seriously than Harley. She may actually be evil too.
After the Joker War, Punchline confessed to her crimes in a weird way. She said she didn’t kill anyone, but she didn’t stop them from being killed. Saying that she was an unwilling accomplice and will accept whatever comes her way.
People all over Gotham were becoming Punchline’s fans; in some ways, they were becoming her cult-like followers. And this is something that Harper Row (Bluebird) isn’t going to allow.
Why is this important?
Bluebird isn’t going to let people be hurt by the kids following Punchline’s ways, especially since some of the people hang out with her brother. If she’s going after Punchline, this is huge. Harper isn’t as dedicated to the crime-fighting life as the rest of the Bat-Family. As true as that may be, this is a worthy cause.
Someone has to look out for the kids of Gotham City. Batman has his hands full with other villains and figuring out life without being a billionaire. This is going to be an interesting story with the potential to turn into a classic rivalry.
5. Wilson Fisk has had enough
Comic book: Daredevil No. 28
Wilson Fisk was the Kingpin. After becoming the Mayor of New York, he gave up that life hoping to go legit and really help the people. That lasted all of about a year. Fisk is now back to dabbling in organized crime all while being the mayor.
Daredevil and Wilson Fisk have been butting heads for decades. A rivalry that won’t end until one of them is dead, we find out how true that is in the recent issue of Daredevil. Wilson Fisk has decided that he’s actively going to try and kill Daredevil in jail and the one carrying on his legacy in Hell’s Kitchen (Elektra).
Why is this important?
No one was shocked by Wilson’s change in direction. Every so often he goes after Daredevil with everything he has. This time, it looks like he’s taking a more subtle approach. Daredevil’s (Matt Murdock) food was poisoned. Normally, he wants a dramatic showing of it. Maybe now Wilson wants this rivalry over with without the drama.
Things will have to be different with Elektra. All he’ll have to do to draw her out is cause a ruckus. She will immediately respond. If she wasn’t posing as Daredevil, whoever Wilson sent would be killed. Since she’s trying to show Matt that she can go without killing, her battle will be challenging. It’ll be fascinating to see who Wilson throws at her.
4. Wonder Woman in Asgard
Comic book: Wonder Woman No. 770
Wonder Woman has been busy. She’s fresh off of saving the multiverse in Dark Knights: Death Metal, restoring the universe in Immortal Wonder Woman, and turning down a space on a pristine cosmic team (Infinite Frontier No. 1). How does Wonder Woman top that? How about going to Asgard to prevent Ragnarok?
Seems difficult for some, but not for Diana Prince. The challenging part will be doing it without her powers and her memory. Diana popped up in Asgard with no memory of who she is or what her powers are. She knows how to fight and where her honor lies. There’s also a voice that’s trying to help her remember who she is. Will it be enough? Of course. She’s Wonder Woman. But it may take a while.
Why is this important?
When people think of Asgard’s presence in comic books, Thor and Marvel are often the first things to pop into their heads. DC Comics hasn’t made a huge effort to bring the Asgardian Pantheon into their comics. This may change with Wonder Woman No. 770. We’ve already seen Thor, Yggdrasill (the world tree), and Ratatosk (squirrel message carrier). Will we see Odin, Fenrir, or any of the other Asgardian gods? Will Wonder Woman challenge Odin? Where else in the nine realms will she venture to? This is an exciting beginning to Wonder Woman’s newest journey.
3. A new comic book Justice League
Comic book: Justice League No. 59
Infinite Frontier has already given us the beginning of the Magistrate Peacekeepers and Wonder Woman in Asgard. Now, it looks like the Justice League will be getting a bit of a makeover as well. And it won’t just be in terms of how they do things, but who they’re bringing in as well.
Green Arrow is discussing how he thinks the Justice League needs a change. Having too many people who know each other is a bad thing. Superman agreed. When Clark agrees, everyone listens. With new members comes different ideas and opinions on how things should be solved. It looks like some of the new members will be Naomi and Black Adam (who’s apparently going by SHAZADAM).
Why is this important?
It starts with Black Adam battling a new villain from another dimension. The Justice League gets involved and finds out that Adam isn’t the villain he once was. In fact, he’s on their side. At the end of the issue, Black Adam goes to see Naomi. She’s also had a run-in with the being who attacked Black Adam in Kahndaq.
They won’t be the only two new members. Looking at the cover of the issue, Hippolyta will be joining them as well. This writer can’t wait to see how this new Justice League works out.
2. Captain Marvel and Stephen Strange
Comic book: Captain Marvel No. 27
Carol Danvers came back from the future and met a group of children from friends of her’s. Among them was her boyfriend’s James “Rhodey” Rhodes’ daughter. After finding this out, she immediately broke up with him. She felt like it was a sign that they needed to break up.
After being in the house for ten days straight, Carol then immersed herself in superhero missions. Jessica Drew was still concerned that she wasn’t dealing with the breakup properly and decided that speed-dating was the answer. That obviously didn’t work as well. We later see Carol in a bar where she meets Doctor Strange. After hours of laughs, the two end up in the Sanctum Sanctorum in bed together. Apparently they made love all night long.
Why is this important?
Normally, relationships don’t often make these lists. However, this one could have major implications for the future of Marvel Comics. Carol Danvers ended the issue saying that this was a bad idea. She knows that no good can come from this. Doctor Strange’s track record with women isn’t exactly stellar. He has a tendency to be a jerk. If this ends badly, it may cause an issue within the Avengers since he’s a reserve member. Plus, Rhodey is definitely going to find out. He’ll certainly be heartbroken.
1. Is old Cable making a return?
Comic book: Captain Marvel No. 27
Nathan Summers has been attempting to find Stryfe. A clone of himself who’s one of the most dangerous mutants on the planet. Normally, this would be an easy task. However, for some reason, nothing’s work. Cable’s tried everything from trackers to psychics to magic.
Knowing that Stryfe is using mutant babies for his plans is making Cable go after him harder than he would with anyone else. With all options exhausted, Cable tried something new: He asked Hope Summers to help him bring his older self back from wherever and whenever he is.
Why is this important?
There are rules against duplicates on Krakoa. Well, obviously unless you’re Jamie Madrox (Multiple Man). This ruling makes sense. Where would it stop? How long until other people want another one of themselves? The good part is they may not need to clone him per se as Cable is somewhere in the timestream.
Since the beginning of Cable No. 1, we’ve seen old Cable running around throughout time. At the end of issue 9, we saw old Cable on the ground defeated. Now here’s the hard part. Once the Stryfe situation is resolved, will old and young Cable be allowed to coexist? Or, if know one finds out, who’s going to say anything? Hope isn’t going to tell anyone that her dad is back. And neither will younger Cable. Who knows. maybe one of them will die and that will solve the problem.
Which Marvel and DC Comics moments did you enjoy in the month of March? Let us know in the comments below!