Top 5 Comic Book Moments of the Week: Eddie Brock's Thor moment, Jimmy Olsen's genius and more
Spoiler alert for the comics released on February 12, 2020
Last week, we got a bunch of very fashionable moments from the comics that hit the stands and this week we have a whole new bunch of amazing comic book moments. From Mystique confirming her relationship status to not one but two Thor moments, this week's comics are some of the most spectacular ever and we can't wait to share them with you. So here's our pick of the Top 5 Comic Book Moments of the Week.
5) I want my wife back
Mystique has been angling to get the Krakoan Quiet Council to bring her old lover Destiny / Irene Adler back to life since Krakoa was established. Her requests have so far been denied because Xavier can't have any precogs on the island (it's a long story) and at least partly because he likes jerking her around. But in Jonathan Hickman's 'X-Men' #6, Mystique demands that her request be granted and in the promise she confirms long-running speculation that she and Destiny were actually married and not just dating for a very long time. Plus, Mystique's sheer ferocity makes it a truly powerful panel put together by Matteo Bufagni, Sunny Gho, and Clayton Cowles.
4) The Sams trio
'Alienated' #1 debuted this week, and it's off to a strong start. We've already reviewed it here but left off getting too specific about the issue's big cliffhanger. In this issue, three kids whose names can coincidentally be shortened to Sam find an alien egg that gives them telepathic powers. Towards the end of the issue, however, the egg is found by a complete jerk of a teen, who gets into a fight with one of the Sams. A voice speaks out during the fight, and in what is a truly shocking moment for a relatively quiet issue, the bully is removed from existence. He doesn't just fade away, his body is torn apart and warped by a strange blue light by the alien, newly hatched. The art really sells just how horrifying the moment is, and it's one hell of a way to end the first issue.
3) Jimmy Olsen: Greatest Detective on Earth
After Superman revealed his secret identity to the world in 'Superman' #18, the world of DC Comics has been rocked to its core. 'Superman Heroes' explores the impact that devastating revelation had on the people who know him personally. There's a lot of small stories in the book but our favorite was the one where Superman apologizes to Jimmy Olsen for not revealing his secret identity to him sooner. Except that Jimmy already knew that Superman is Clark Kent because the only two people in the world who ever called him "Jim" were Clark and (you know it) Superman. It's a pretty sweet moment that perfectly illustrates why Jimmy Olsen is an integral part of Superman's world and the movies should really do better justice to him.
2) Whosoever shall hold this lightning rod...
Eddie Brock has always been willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goals and never more so than in the pages of Donny Cates' 'Venom'. Cates is currently writing the new 'Thor' series as well (more on that coming up) and in 'Venom' #23, we see Eddie channel his inner Thor. The whole issue has him thinking about prayers and gods and it hits its climax when Eddie tells Carnage he's going to pray to the one god who's ever beaten the maniacal symbiote: Thor. He then uses a radio tower to blast himself with lightning in a beautifully illustrated spread created by Bagley, Owens and Martin. Eddie's Thor moment would have been at the top of this list if we didn't also have a real Thor moment that's so brilliant it dwarfs everything else.
1) Stormbreaking: The Battle of the Hammers
So in Donny Cates' new 'Thor' run, the new King of Asgard has become a herald of Galactus, one who refuses to serve the cosmic entity and only grudgingly helps him consume certain planets whose energies Galactus needs to defeat a multiversal enemy. Unfortunately, there's a lot of people who want Galactus dead and first in line is Beta Ray Bill, Thor's brother-in-arms and wielder of the hammer Stormbreaker who takes on the Herald of Thunder in 'Thor' #3.
The entire issue is a delight but the moment that's the absolute best is a spectacular spread by Nic Klein and Matt Wilson that shows Thor taking Stormbreaker and smashing it into pieces. And what's even cooler, the issue's end teases that there are going to be a lot more massive moments coming in the upcoming issues as well.
That's all for this week. What were your favorite moments for New Comic Book Day this week? Let us know in the comments.