Annihilation: Conquest #3 ~ I'll call it now: no body, no death, and that goes for Phyla and Heather. Not that that undercuts what happened - if (as I very much hope) there's to be a reunion after all this, it won't mean that what we saw this issue didn't happen, or that the emotions weren't real. Anyway, Conquest moves along - now that I've read the original Annihilation I can appreciate more of what's going on with Ronan in the ceded territories, but for the most part this issue plays out in a fairly predictable way. Unavoidable really - no-one here's not trying to win right away, but we know that there's three more issues to come, so it's no surprise that the results thus far are inconclusive, albeit naturally grim-looking for our heroes. The writing is entertaining, the art is powerful and energetic, and with half the story done a lot's happened, and there's plenty of room for me to still be surprised. Can't complain about that.
Hack/Slash #7 ~ I noticed something interesting this issue - Hack/Slash is really tight-knit episodic. Granted most comics have running subplots, but the main thrust of their stories is generally cleanly divided into one-off stories and multi-issue arcs. Hack/Slash has one-shots and arcs, but what seems most important in each issue is the subplot material which runs from story to story with no clear boundaries or divisions. Right now we've got Vlad's feelings for Cassie, Cassie's friendship (?) with Georgia (from the opening Heavy Metal demon story), Chris and Lisa's relationship and formation of Hack/Slash Inc. - and even the slasher stories aren't cleanly contained to definite sets of issues, with the supermodel slasher from #5 still happening in the background. I imagine it'll make the TPBs a bit more difficult to read in isolation, but it makes for a very strong sense of continuity when reading the whole thing - a real 'one big story' feel, with both the ability to slowly build momentum of plotlines, and (so far) nothing promising cut short just to wrap everything up by the end of the issue.
So far as this issue's main story goes, it's heavy on setup and light on payoff so far - the satisfaction is very much in the growth of the subplots. There are some interesting new possibilities introduced, but it's up to future issues to develop them. For now, there's a heavy dose of slasher-chic, with an all-girl boarding school, lesbian hot tub parties, and the ghost of Elizabeth Bathory. As story setups go, that's one worth watching.
Ms. Marvel #23 ~ Carol's showdown with the Brood Queen continues, with an issue that's mostly about escalation of what's already going on. A concise recap of Carol's history with the Brood is provided, with some effective visuals adding interest to what is basically a bit of as-you-know exposition, and Carol's current direction, which crystallised in the Puppet Master story where the consequences of her increased power really started to be a factor, is given a bit of an extra boost with thought boxes and some commentary from Cru. Most of the action this issue - aside from a brief Carol/Queen fight, which doesn't surprise - comes from the Lightning Storm team, who arrive with a bucketload of unresolved issues and bring a lot of them into play as they engage the Brood, in a sequence that's quite interesting by way of not telegraphing where it's going. Hints are dangled for future revelations (which may or may not have anything to do with Secret Invasion), but the writing is enjoyable enough that it's not annoying to not get the payoff yet, and as always Machine Man is good for some serious laughter. Lopresti's art continues to be a great match for this title, up to the challenge of whatever's thrown at it.
