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Confession Booth: Original Sin #7

By | August 15th, 2014
Posted in Annotations | 5 Comments

We are almost finished with Marvel’s second big event of 2014: “Original Sin”! Check out our spoiler-free review and our major spoilers recap below!

Review

Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Mike Deodato

The LAST BATTLEGROUND!

Somehow, Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato created a comic that was straight up twenty pages of screaming. “Original Sin” #7 attacks the reader like a rabid dog who knows precisely what they’re doing.

After Nick Fury spent the last couple issues explaining how he’s amazing and how Bucky needs to get his Hollywood ass a new ongoing (seriously, the credits page lists a thank you to Ed Brubaker; the new Unseen has to be Bucky, though Allan Heinberg [“Young Avengers” creator] gets a thank you too), Fury puts on his old man space diaper and rips through everyone for an entire issue. It is grand.

Deodato’s pencils feverishly create a stunning battle that feels nothing less than epic, like an honest-to-goodness Last Stand. The noir vibe the first few issues were drenched in has been overtaken by a more typical action aesthetic, but its still present in the shadows that turn this issue from an all-out brawl to something much more sinister. The subtle sense of horror definitely bleeds into the rest of the comic, notably when The Orb has his scene-stealing moment of the week or when we get another look at a pre-murder Uatu. Honestly, I’ve been surprised by a lot of “Original Sin”, but my love for Deodato’s work is probably the biggest surprise of all.

Of course, that may be due to “Original Sin” slowing down on the twists as of late. Maybe it’s because I’m obligated to write a column about every single issue of this series, but the murder as presented here is somewhat underwhelming. Despite all logic (and the fact it’d mean introducing a new character out of absolutely nowhere), the (supposed) killer’s identity is unsatisfying, if only because it’s the most logical thing in a series full of illogical maniacs. Maybe it’s a bit too much to ask for, but it feels like the only proper way for this series to end is for the killer to NOT be the most obvious suspect.

Even then, it’s not like Aaron hasn’t been crafting a truly compelling story with Deodato. The appeal of “Original Sin” may not come from its central mystery, but rather the multitude of questions it brought up. Many of those questions, of course, simply being the acronym “WTF?!”

I don’t know if “Original Sin” is ever going to be hailed as a classic that crosses generations. Honestly, it likely won’t. Still, even with these seven issues its proven to be one of the most bat-guano crazy crossovers I’ve ever seen. And even if the mystery’s conclusion turns out to be obvious, the journey may make the destination well worth it.

Final Verdict: 8.3 – PS, that journey consisted of an old man shooting the Marvel Universe while screaming at the moon. Holy hell, let’s get to the recap.

Recap

“Original Sin” #7 opens with The Orb and Midas’s crew robbing The Watcher’s tower which, straight up, is a plot point I forgot happened. Either way, we have a guy with an eye riding shotgun in a golden spaceship with a crazy Ben Grimm cosplayer and his army of Mindless Ones so I’m satisfied. Unfortunately, The Watcher’s not too pleased with his house guests as they’re interrupting his Animal Man impersonation contest.

Odds of the murderer turning out to be Grant Morrison – 1:10.

Dr. Midas has no time for existentialism and immediately blows up The Watcher’s lair. Evidently there’s no AC unit in his Iron Man armor because the dude has no chill. Before we can see the after-effects of those battle, we’re whisked away to The Avengers getting their asses kicked by an old man who shot the Hulk into the moon.

There’s almost too much going on with this page, but my favorite bit is Luke Cage giving up and to pretending he’s floating away, completely done with this AARP BS.

Continued below

Everyone else is done too, furious at Fury for betraying their trust which… really, guys? Nick Fury is the master of betraying people for his spy games. If I was a Marvel character who was friends with Fury and he suddenly became an old man screaming in a deranged 90’s persons idea of what a spacesuit is, I’d just reluctantly shrug. Dude once sacrificed his son and made his brother go into deep cover as a HYDRA agent for years just so he could tell Baron Von Strucker to fuck himself in the coolest way possible. If anything, we’ve just learned we should all re-read “Secret Warriors.”

Back in Fury’s base, all of his agents are doing their best impression of a Marvel comics crossover by misunderstanding and yelling each other. Even Rocket Raccoon’s fed up with this, and his movie started with him trying to kidnap his teammate.

Same, Rocket. Same.

Fortunately, Dr. Strange tells everyone they have to stay together to take down Fury who’s a, direct quote, mass murderer. Of what exactly? In this series, it’s been revealed he killed a butt-ton of monsters and Uatu “I Was Once Put On Trial By Space for Sucking So Hard” The Watcher. Is this about the deaths he’s responsible for as Director of SHIELD? I doubt it, if only because Ales Kot didn’t write this comic.

Before anyone can question Strange, The Orb comes crawling out of interrogation chamber in his Super Saiyan form, ready to wreak havoc. To absolutely no one’s surprise, he reveals that he shot The Watcher during the robbery. I don’t know how much of a shock this comes to anyone, but at least the execution of the scene is neat.

Back in present-day space, The Watcher’s eyes are glowing again and Thor somehow didn’t turn a decrepit old man into paste. Unfortunately for him, the secrets The Watcher’s eyes are giving Fury enables him to whisper a secret that causes Thor to become unworthy of his hammer.

So, uh. That’s how that happens. See you in October, new female Thor!

Also, holy hell Thor’s reaction better become a meme.

What could Fury even have possibly told Thor? Did Nick tell him the actual ending to “Journey into Mystery,” which caused Thor to take the biggest of sit-downs? Also, how did “Original Sin” not alert anyone to the events of ‘Everything Burns’? That should’ve been the absolute first dark secret someone should’ve found out about.

Unless “Tenth World” addressed that and everyone finds out I haven’t been keeping up with that mini. But that’d be preposterous. I read every comic I write about.

With Thor gone and Iron Man neutralized by an override code, Fury reveals The Watcher was alive after the Orb shot him, revealing a final secret to Fury. Now, Fury’s on his way into Uatu’s base to confront the One Big Secret™ that’s allegedly still left in this series. Joining him are Dr. Midas and the powered-up Orb who are determined to make this the weirdest final battle in crossover history.

Seriously, think about it. The final battle to an actual summer event comic will be Old Nick Fury, Dr. Midas from “Marvel Boy”, and The Freaking Orb. I love living in 2014, you guys.

The fight next issue is sure to be a good one. So good in fact, that Uatu came back to life just to watch it!

And he brought a bunch of mirrors so he can see the fight from every angle! Oohh… there’s no way this final confrontation could go wrong for anyone involved.

Too bad one of Uatu’s mirror reflections (or one of the Watchers, if you wanna get all unsnarky on me) stepped on the unpowered Thor. RIP in Piece, old friend.

So Who Killed The Watcher?

It was Nick Fury.

We’ll see you in two weeks when it’s Nick Fury.


//TAGS | Confession Booth

James Johnston

James Johnston is a grizzled post-millenial. Follow him on Twitter to challenge him to a fight.

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