Redemptions and New Roles: Scarlet Witch #1

The following is my review of Scarlet Witch #1, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

Given enough time, every comic book character ends up needing some form of redemption. It's not all that different from politics. Give the talking heads on TV and radio enough slow news days and they'll find a scandal to exploit. Wanda Maximoff needs no help when it comes to scandals. And while most comic book fans can't agree on the color of the sky, they can probably agree that the Scarlet Witch is in need of some redemption.

But James Robinson is tasked with doing more than a redemption story for Wanda in Scarlet Witch #1. As part of Marvel's post-Secret Wars 8-month skip, Wanda is set to establish a new role for herself. She can't keep being the genocidal, mentally unstable, ex-mutant retcon whose powers act as a never-ending mulligan to Marvel's continuity issues.

At one point, Wanda Maximoff was a respectable member of the Avengers. It seems so long ago, requiring a trip back to an era when the Backstreet Boys were still relevant. Then, the events of Decimation made her entire character revolve around cleaning up the messes that she herself makes. Like the first Hangover movie, her story had its moments. But like the Hangover sequels, it got old fast and the rectons of her origin story didn't help.

Now, more than ever, the Scarlet Witch needs to move forward as a character. The story James Robinson tells in Scarlet Witch #1 makes a solid and long overdue case that Wanda Maximoff has more to offer the Marvel universe besides being a walking retcon device. In fact, this story gives her a new role that she's uniquely qualified to handle. And it's a role that feels pretty vital in a world where demons, goblins, and deals with Mephisto are uncomfortably common.

Whether she fell into it or just embraced it during the 8-month gap, the Scarlet Witch is now the top cop for witchcraft in the Marvel Universe. She's like the Roger Goodell of the mystic arts, minus the obscene salary and having to deal with the Jerry Jones of the world. It's a component of the Marvel Universe that has been poorly explored, despite having a Sorcerer Supreme and a Dr. Doom running around. Robinson makes it a point to establish witchcraft as something unique and his attention to detail would make any Dungeons and Dragons enthusiast proud.

This world of witchcraft is explored in the form of a CSI-style mystery, minus the drug cartels and car bombs. Wanda, with help from the ghost of Agatha Hawkins, explores a series of murders that may or may not have a basis in witchcraft. And it's not long before the importance of the Scarlet Witch's new role becomes apparent quickly. The NYPD has a hard time justifying parking tickets. What hope do they have of responsibly investigating murders caused by witchcraft?

The Scarlet Witch demonstrates both the need for her services and her competence in delivering. She effectively coordinates with the authorities, which is no small feat in a city that has a history of trying to arrest Spider-Man. She also gives the detective involved a crash course in the history of witchcraft. It's not enough to rip off the Wizard of Oz and most Disney movies made before 1980. She has to provide a context for the forces involved and it's a vital context for the story as a whole.

James Robinson puts a great deal of effort into highlighting the unique challenges that come with witchcraft. He makes it a point to ensure that the Scarlet Witch isn't just a female version of Dr. Strange. That story is best left to perverse fan art.

The story Robinson tells in Scarlet Witch #1 establishes a very different set of forces and a very different set of challenges that Wanda must confront. None of them involve Magneto, Dr. Doom, or sexy male androids either. It makes for a wholly new and deeply refreshing narrative for a character who needed it.

There's no team this time for the Scarlet Witch. There's no personality clashes, romantic tensions, or family drama either. While it might be jarring for those used to seeing Wanda butt heads with Hawkeye every other day, it still works because it puts her in a unique role that she and she alone is qualified to handle. Adding someone like Hawkeye to the mix would add comic relief at best and bad Lethal Weapon style jokes at worst.

As adept as the Scarlet Witch is in her new role, the story of her first day on the job in this role isn't going to get anyone's heart racing. This is a story that's heavy on exposition. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Exposition is needed to establish this new role for Wanda and to assure readers that it doesn't involve her having another mental breakdown. However, it does leave little room for action or even that much of a struggle.

Granted, there's only so much struggle that's possible for someone who spits in the face of physics and warps reality like a piece of tin foil. This makes the Scarlet Witch's clash with the mystical creature she uncovers feel somewhat muted. But it's her first day on the job. In the same way a rookie cop can't be expected to take down Pablo Escobar, she can't be expected to sucker punch Mephisto.

While Scarlet Witch #1 is heavy on the details, it succeeds in giving Wanda Maximoff's character exactly what she needs. It's jarring at times, but in a good way. An entire generation of Marvel fans has come to see the Scarlet Witch as a ticking time bomb whose actions usually require a retcon down the line or several. Now, she's here to show that generation that she's not just some walking Deus Ex Machina who looks good in a red dress.

Wanda Maximoff now has something to contribute to the Marvel Universe. She has a unique set of skills to take on a unique set of challenges. In a world that's populated with clones, robots, and aliens, she can forge her own path and not go crazy in the process. Anyone who has ever had to work retail during the holidays can respect that.

Final Score: 7 out of 10

X-men Supreme Issue 128: Pain Tolerance PREVIEW!

Since the Onslaught Saga of the late 90s, Marvel has done a lot to undermine and discredit the character of Professor Charles Xavier in the X-men comics. From having secret feelings for Jean Grey to keeping secrets about Cyclops’ long lost brother form him, he’s not just the paragon of peace and understanding that inspired the X-men. He’s a flawed individual and that’s fine. It’s perfectly reasonable to humanize a character like Charles Xavier. However, the X-men comics blurred the line between humanizing and denigrating. I hope to keep those lines clearer in the X-men Supreme fanfiction series.

Since this fanfiction series began, I’ve taken a very specific approach to Professor Charles Xavier. He has no secret attractions to his students. He hasn’t wiped the memories of others behind their backs. In X-men Supreme, he does have strong morals. However, he’s also painfully human in the sense that his personal weaknesses often overwhelm him. And I’m not talking about being in a wheelchair either. I made Charles Xavier a cancer survivor in X-men Supreme. There are real people in this world who have been ravaged by cancer and its effects can be felt, even for those who are in remission.

These effects have been plaguing Charles Xavier since the end of X-men Supreme Volume 4: Politics of Fear. While his cancer was effectively cured with the help of the Starjammers in the Starcrossed arc, the effects of all the medications he took to manage his pain have once again caught up to him. Just as he did before, he tried to hide his ailments so he could continue to lead the X-men. And just as before, it ended up hurting him and his X-men.

The events of X-men Supreme Issue 127: Terror Sell marked a dangerous turning point for Charles Xavier. This was the X-men’s first major clash with the Mutant Liberation Front, a dangerous group of mutant terrorists led by former Brotherhood of Mutants member, Toad. And the X-men lost and lost badly because Xavier’s inability to manage his condition caught up with him. It’s one thing to suffer alone, but when that suffering affects his X-men, then Charles Xavier understands that it’s time to make some difficult choices.

These choices will mark the next big shift in X-men Supreme Volume 6: Liberation Decimation. The X-men can’t afford to lose to keep losing to the Mutant Liberation Front. Charles Xavier understands this. His X-men understand this. So what will they do? How will the X-men cope with their mentor’s latest ailments? It marks a dramatic shift in the X-men Supreme fanfiction series and one that’ll make the challenges ahead even more difficult. As always, I’ve prepared a brief preview here on this website and an extended preview on the X-men Supreme Official Blog.

‘The pain…it’s too much. I failed. My X-men…all those people…it’s all my fault. I need my pills. I can’t take this anymore!’

‘Sorry Professor, not this time. You don’t get to take the easy way out.’

Charles Xavier was shocked to hear another telepathic voice in his head. As the world’s most powerful telepath, his mind was always heavily shielded. It was so startling that it jarred him from his semi-conscious state. He was still in a great deal of agony. His head was throbbing just as it had before he passed out. Everything after that was a blur. When he opened his eyes, he realized he wasn’t in Cerebrum anymore. He also realized he had two very disgruntled figures standing by his bed.

Jean Grey had a lot of reasons to be in a foul mood. She had to fly all the way back from Australia while discovering that the Mutant Liberation Front had succeeded along the way. Then when she arrived at the mansion, she discovered Professor Xavier in a very defeated state. This time it wasn’t because he pushed himself too hard. There was a much less noble reason for such failure, which led her and Betsy to call Dr. Cecilia Reyes, who was standing next to her holding the bottle of pills they found Xavier grasping. When he saw her disappointed gaze, the Professor could barely look at her.

“Jean I…” he began.

“Don’t attempt to explain yourself, sir. Dr. Reyes told us everything,” said Jean, not hiding her disappointment in the slightest.

“I’m sorry, Charles. But the whole doctor/patient confidentiality agreement goes out the window when it’s overly abused,” said Cecilia with equal scorn, “I covered for you. I lied for you. I treated you for wounds you inflicted upon yourself. Now you’ve taken it too far!”

“The X-men…are they okay?” asked the Professor, still avoiding eye-contact.

“They’re okay…for the most part,” said Dr. Reyes, “They couldn’t stop the Mutant Liberation Front. Not after they lost their psychic shielding and failed to uncover Toad’s trap.”

“My God,” gasped Xavier, “That means they succeeded! They destroyed the data center! Now the infrastructure of every country in the world is at…”

“Forget the mission for a moment! Forget the damage that’s been done to human/mutant relations or all the ways President Kelly is pissed off at us!” said Jean in a harsh tone, “Let’s talk about what you did to yourself! And this time, no more lies!”

The powerful psychic used her telekinesis to rip the pill bottle out of Dr. Reyes’s hands and retrieve it. Jean was not going to be subtle. This man was like a father to her, much more so than her real father. Uncovering secrets like this was painful in way too many ways.

“When we found you in Cerebrum, you hadn’t passed out due to psychic strain! I know the symptoms of a man who tries to solve his problems by soaking his brain in illicit chemicals! And the pill bottle you were clutching was a dead give-away! I found the number for Dr. Reyes on your cell phone and she got over here as fast as the X-jet would take her! I didn’t want to believe it until I heard it from her, but I know the truth now! We all do!”

“Please understand, Jean!” urged Xavier, “I…”

But Jean didn’t give him a chance to explain himself. She telekinetically threw the empty bottle of pills onto his lap and scolded him in a way she had never scolded her mentor.

“A drug overdose! That’s what took you out of this fight?!” she shouted, “It wasn’t because of some powerful new psychic! It wasn’t because of cancer either! You were so hopped up on pain killers that you nearly drowned in your own drool! And you’re supposed to be the world’s most powerful mind?!”

“That’s enough, Jean,” said Dr. Reyes, having to hold her back.

“Did you really think it wasn’t going to be a problem? Did you really believe that you could be a drug addict and a visionary for the X-men at the same time?! Who do you think you are? A cult leader?!”

“Jean! That’s not helping!” shouted Cecilia, pushing her back.

She was on the brink of tears. This was difficult for her to digest, the charismatic founder of the Xavier Institute failing for reasons that were painfully human. Professor Xavier finally looked up at his student, ashamed of his failure. His students always held him in such high regard. He worked hard to gain their trust over the years. He had abused that trust again and this time it caught up with him in the worst possible way.

Jean continued fuming, having to step back to wipe the tears from her eyes. Dr. Reyes stayed with her a moment, offering whatever consolation she could. This was difficult for her to, but for a very different set of reasons.

“Do not lose control, Jean. I know as well as any cosmic entity that it will only make things worse.”
“I know. I’m not trying to sound like a total bitch,” sobbed Jean.

“You’re not a bitch, Jean. You’re upset. I am too,” said Dr. Reyes, “I fear that something like this would happen. I’m glad it happened now before it got any worse.”

Leaving Jean to cool down, Cecilia turned her attention back to Charles Xavier. He was holding his head low, ready to accept whatever scorn she had to give. He more than deserved it.

“I won’t yell at you, Charles. Although I admit I’m very tempted,” said Dr. Reyes.

“Feel free to yell all you want, Cecilia. I put you in this position. I hurt you just as much as I hurt my X-men,” he said sadly.

“I would rather be more productive while you’re still coherent,” she said, “While you were out, I ran some tests with Jean in the infirmary. They confirmed what I suspected may happen.”

There are many X-men fans who believe there are significant flaws in the current X-men comics. Some of those flaws go beyond the denigration of Charles Xavier’s character. I sincerely hope that those dissatisfied with the comics will find refuge in the X-men Supreme fanfiction series. I do not want X-men Supreme to suffer the same flaws as the comics. In order to keep this fanfiction series awesome, it’s important that I get feedback. If at any point it sounds like X-men Supreme is becoming too much like the current comics, please tell me! I need to know so I can fix it. Either contact me directly with your feedback or post your comments directly in the issues. I’m always happy to chat X-men. Until next time, take care and best wishes. Excelsior!

Jack

Secret Wars #8: Nuff Said!

There aren't a lot of situations where I'm okay with delays. Whether it's my flight to Las Vegas or a traffic jam on the freeway or my latte at a coffee shop, I just have a low threshold for getting pissed. That said, I will tolerate delays to some extent in comics if the end result is sufficiently awesome. There just comes a point where that extent becomes so frustrating that I lose my capacity to give enough fucks.

Secret Wars #8 was supposed to come out three months ago. Fuck, it was supposed to be the final issue. Instead, someone at Marvel must have gotten some really shitty weed because their schedule has been more fucked than a Bangkok crack whore. But it's still a story that has been building and escalating in all the right ways. And damn it, I'm going to swallow my frustration, along with what's left of my Thanksgiving leftovers, to review this book for you lovely people.

You don’t need to know too much about the setup. There’s a big fucking battle raging. It’s Secret WARS, remember? There’s Spider-Man, Hulk, Sinister, Thors…pretty much everyone who can make a big fucking war and make it awesome. The last issue established the epic scale. If at this point you don’t appreciate it, you should probably lay off the Xanax.

That’s not to say there isn’t a larger strategy here. While the big ass war is unfolding outside Castle Doom, the two Reed Richards are trying to sneak in with help from Starlord. That goes about a s well as you would think. The fact they only got hit by a Hulk means they got off easy.

Speaking of Hulks, remember that big fucking Hellicarrier that arrived at the battle at the end of the previous issue? The one that, for a brief moment, looked like it was going to make Doom break a divine sweat? Well, it doesn’t matter if you forgot or were too stoned to care because Doom has something better than a Hellicarrier with Hulks. He has a giant fucking Thing to take them down. And no, that’s not a dick joke. But it ought to be.

The explosions, the destruction, and the fighting really don’t need much detail here. It’s like a big pair of tits. No words are needed to convey the awesome. And the arrival of a reanimated Galactus? I’ll let that speak for itself too.

It’s an epic battle on an epic scale that should give everyone an epic erection and/or pussy boner. But there are still a few finer details that ensure this battle will do more than just inconvenience Doom. The Richards duo and Starlord might have been hit by a Hulk, but when has that ever stopped them from landing? Like a North Korean airliner, they still get to their destination and crash in Castle Doom. Now they can fuck with Dr. Doom in a more subtle way. They can’t punch him in the balls, but they can give him a nasty rectal itch.

But who really wants to see two versions of Reed Richards get a rage boner for Dr. Doom? This is a Secret WAR god damn it! Let’s see some more war! A giant Thing and Galactus might make things too lopsided though. That’s why Thanos decides to finally join the fun, complete with the Annihilation Horde. This finally gets Dr. Doom to do something other than watch his world turn against him. It’s finally annoyed him to the point where he’s willing to get off his divine ass and act. Like having to take a piss during a football game, it’s annoying, but necessary.

It gets slightly less annoying for Doom when his pet Galactus makes the battle just a bit more uneven. It’s a little rushed, but not for the same reason a zord battle in a Power Rangers episode is rushed. When Thing finds out that it’s Franklin Richards whose piloting his Galactus zord, he’s no longer quite so eager to wreck Doom’s shit. In fact, he’s so un-eager that he lets Franklin finish him off.

It’s a powerful moment and there have been more than one in this series. Despite the annoying delays, this one still has an impact. Thing would rather die than take down someone he loves. That could be a dick joke as well, but it wouldn’t be a very funny one.

You know what is funny though? Starlord fighting the Black Swan. Why is it funny? Well, it’s not because Starlord has a lousy record in battles against sexy female villain types. It’s because he knows he’s outmatched. Hell, even his dick knows it. But he still carries himself with the kind of swag that makes him worthy of being played by Chris Pratt. Sure, he lets her kick his ass for a bit, but he’s got a plan and it doesn’t involve more dick jokes.

The non-sober crowd might not have noticed, but Starlord has been chewing on a tooth pick since this issue began. Since he’s neither a hillbilly nor a NASCAR fan, he has to have a reason for it. Well, that reason happens to have a name and he likes to remind people of that name. No, it’s not Kid Rock. It’s fucking Groot. You can just hear Vin Disel’s voice and how it soaks every pair of panties in a five-mile radius. On top of that, he grows to a level where he can do the kind of remodeling on Castle Doom that we don’t see outside of a Mythbusters special. It’s a very satisfying moment and I’d be shocked if this didn’t make Black Swan horny on some levels.

So Starlord is taking care of things on his end. He might even get laid if he’s really lucky. Reed Richards (at least one of them) might be able to say the same because while Castle Doom is crumbling like the Cleveland Browns’ season, Valeria manages to lead Sue to him. Now keep in mind, she’s still brainwashed into thinking she’s Dr. Doom’s queen and Battleworld is the only world that matters. Now, she’s face-to-face with Reed again. Not only that, he’s rocking an epic beard. I’d be shocked if even this version of Sue can keep her panties on for more than 15 minutes.

Sadly, it’s not the emotional reunion it could’ve been. It’s more of a teaser. And given how every issue of this series has been more delayed than a Guns N’ Roses album, it’s pretty frustrating. But it’s not completely shrugged off or thrown away off-panel. It’s not like this is an X-men comic.

There are some things that just can’t and shouldn’t be done off-panel. A clash between Thanos and Dr. Doom is one of them. Like a nude oil wrestling match between Jennifer Lawrence and Megan Fox, it cannot and should not be glossed over. Thanos has already annoyed the fuck out of Doom by breaking down the walls that separate Battleworld. And since he’s more merciful than most gods, Doom actually offers him a chance at redemption. If he just places faith in him, he’ll make him a new baron. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right?

Well, Doom is not a Scientologist and Thanos is not Tom Cruise. So naturally, Thanos tells Doom to go fuck himself. That’s some pretty serious blasphemy and Dr. Doom deals with it the same way Saudi Arabia deals with it. He fucking offs Thanos with just as much ease as he offed a Cyclops-powered Phoenix. It’s every bit as badass as it sounds.

So again, the balance is now tipped in Doom’s favor. He’s the one with the god-like power. There’s only so much edge anyone can have over him. He’s now in a position to deal with this war the same way Bill Belichick deals with annoying journalists. He’s taken out Thanos and a giant Thing. With his kind of god-like power, what more can anyone throw at him that would be more than a mild cough?

Well, there’s always zombies. Never forget about zombies. Battleworld had a whole domain of them and as it just so happens, a portal opens that lets a whole fuckton of them come charging through. And if the Walking Dead has shown us anything, it’s that zombies make any fucked up situation more frustrating. A god-powered Doom isn’t immune to that.

But a portal of zombies alone isn’t enough to make a god-powered Dr. Doom worry. It’ll still annoy him, but not to the point where it’s anything more than extensive target practice. But that’s not all that comes through the portal. In addition to zombies, Namor and Black Panther show up and they’ve got something better than a trillion zombies. They’ve got a fucking Infinity Gauntlet. The list of things that’ll make a god-powered Dr. Doom shit himself is exceedingly short, but this has to be at the top, right along with an army of giant Hulks on meth.

So...is it awesome?

To this, I say a partial fuck yes! Any comic that has a giant monster Groot fight Galactus while Dr. Doom wastes Thanos like a fresh line of blow is awesome by default on some levels. Even shitty delays can't keep a moment like that from being pretty damn satisfying. But after the previous issue set up the kind of epic final battle that Peter Jackson probably jerks off to, this battle didn't exactly follow through. It didn't strike out, but it didn't hit a home run either. There's still plenty to enjoy. Like half a joint, it won't get you high, but it will put a smile on your face. Plus, the final issue still offers the possibility of a full-joint when it comes out...whenever the fuck that might be.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

X-men Supreme Issue 127: Terror Sell is LIVE!

One of the major appeals of the X-men Supreme fanfiction series, as I try to craft it, is that readers can experience stories that can’t be experienced in the current X-men comics. Right now, Cyclops, Wolverine, and Jean Grey are dead in the comics. Mutants are going extinct and have been sterilized. Magneto is running his own team of X-men and there are time-displaced versions of the Original Five X-men running around. While this has attracted a wide audience, it’s currently the only game in town for X-men and that leaves X-men Supreme with a unique opportunity to broaden its appeal.

I understand that this appeal is a double-edged sword. I’ve seen Marvel try to craft that same appeal through their Ultimate comics, including Ultimate X-men. But, as we saw with the decline and eventual cancellation of Ultimate Marvel after Secret Wars, this approach has flaws. I’m determined to avoid those flaws in X-men Supreme. And the setup for X-men Supreme Volume 6: Liberation Decimation is part of that effort.

In the comics, you won’t find a story where Toad is the powerful, menacing leader of the Mutant Liberation Front. You won’t find a story where Mystique has been revealed as Wolverine’s former lover, Rose. You won’t find a story where Rogue and Gambit are developing a blossoming relationship. This says nothing about characters like Cyclops and Jean Grey, who are currently dead in the comics. But what I hope to offer in the coming issues of X-men Supreme is something much bolder than an alternative outlet for X-men fans.

As shown in X-men Supreme Issue 126: Heart Attack, the Mutant Liberation Front operates very differently. They are willing to cause widespread destruction and chaos, just as Magneto did with the Brotherhood of Mutants. However, they are not at all interested in killing humans or mutants. They have a different plan. The extent of that plan has yet to be revealed. But first, they must show they can hold their own against the X-men. And that’s exactly what they’ll do in the latest issue of X-men Supreme.

Just how dangerous is the Mutant Liberation Front? How powerful is Toad? And are the X-men equipped to deal with him? That’s what they’re about to find out. Ongoing personal issues with Gambit and Rogue, as well as Charles Xavier’s health, will still affect them. But will the X-men still be able to fight? Will they be able to defend a world still recovering from the events of Dark Legacy? It’s another story you won’t find anywhere else other than X-men Supreme.

X-men Supreme Issue 127: Terror Sell

There are many major differences between the X-men Supreme and the current X-men comics. I don’t just want X-men Supreme to appeal because it’s different. I want it to appeal because the stories it tells are awesome. And to do that, it’s still very important that readers take the time to provide feedback for this fanfiction series. I’m always happy to listen. Either post your comments directly in the issue or contact me directly. Either way is fine. Until next time, take care and best wishes.
Excelsior!

Jack

Winning (and Losing) the West: Red Wolf #1

The following is my review of Red Wolf #1, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

There was a time when the Western narrative had its own VIP section in the realm of pop culture. Then, Clint Eastwood got old and superhero movies took their place in that VIP section. While Westerns still embody a unique element of the American mythos, it'll never generate the $1.5 billion box office that a solid Avengers movie makes.

Nobody is going to mistake William “Red Wolf” Talltrees for Clint Eastwood, but he is one of the few remaining embodiment of that Western mythos, albeit in an atypical fashion. He's not some grizzled old white man looking to thumb his nose at the law. He's basically the Native American version of Captain America. He embodies the power, spirit, and grit of his people. He has the same commitment to justice, but gets only a hundredth of the attention of Steve Rogers. In some respects, it's reflective of the limited attention real Native Americans get.

With Secret Wars, Marvel is giving Red Wolf a chance to join the growing pantheon of diversity in comics. It's becoming a rather crowded pantheon with Kamala Khan, Moon Girl, and Sam Wilson. But there's still room in this mythos for another hero who embodies another minority. Red Wolf #1 makes the case that William Talltrees can be that hero. He ends up being the hero the stereotypical western town of Timely needs. On top of that, he’s way more hero than they deserve.

There are a great many obstacles that the Tony Starks, the Steve Rogers, and the Peter Parkers of the world have to overcome. Those obstacles have made for plenty of memorable stories. However, these heroes all have one thing in common. Their race has never caused them any hardship. That’s not to make light of genuine patriotism and murdered loved ones, but it’s easy to overlook how much easier life is when you don’t have to worry about racism, slurs, and Fox News anchors.

Red Wolf #1 does not shy away from these racist obstacles. In fact, it’s downright blatant about it. Nobody in Timely calls Red Wolf by his name, his superhero name, or even his title as Sheriff. Instead, they use the kinds of words that went out of style back in the 1950s. These are words that would get most people crushed by Twitter trolls if they used those words today. But Red Wolf shows a level of restraint that makes him unfit for Twitter, but more than fit for being a hero.

Having inherited the role of Sheriff from a John Wayne version of Steve Rogers, Red Wolf is responsible for maintaining order in Timely. He does this despite the people of Timely making clear that they trust him about as much as they would trust Al Sharpton. Red Wolf’s authority is so poorly respected that he struggles to settle a dispute over a couple of cows. There’s little doubt that if Steve Rogers had intervened, the conflict would be resolved without inspiring any new Twitter hashtags.

Yet despite the racism he faces, Red Wolf does his duty. He upholds the law, even when neither he nor his title are respected. It offers a unique perspective that can’t be found, even with Miles Morales or Kamala Khan. At least they live in an era where overt racism gets most people sent to the principal’s office or to sensitivity training. In the old west, six shooters and slurs rule the day.

Red Wolf’s commitment to his duty establishes a theme for his story and his struggles. This story unfolds in the form of a fairly generic murder mystery that would probably fit right into at least two Clint Eastwood movies. But this mystery quickly takes a turn that seems more befitting of Tim Burton.

The main purpose of the story isn’t just establishing who Red Wolf is and the racism he has to deal with. The purpose of the story is to put Red Wolf in a position to become part of the larger Marvel universe. In the same way Miles Morales and Old Man Logan have become part of that universe, Red Wolf is set to join them. Since he’ll be entering a time where minorities can get arrested for sneezing on a cop the wrong way, his commitment is all the more admirable.

While the purpose of this story is accomplished in a way that feels satisfying and compelling, it does feel rushed at times. The mystery that unfolds doesn’t get all that elaborate. It barely has the depth of a Scooby Doo rerun, minus a creepy guy in a costume.

One moment, Red Wolf is dreading some dangerous killer who wields magic that a six-shooter can’t stop. The next, this killer just shows up and trolls him. There’s no duel. There’s no horse race. There’s no whiskey-fueled trash talk. There’s just one of those mysterious villain that Captain America takes out at least once a week.

The battle he has with Red Wolf isn’t going to inspire Steven Spielbergs, but it does provide some action that doesn’t just involve angry cows or racist lynch mobs. It also acts as the catalyst that brings Red Wolf out of Timely and into a Marvel universe that is eager to embrace more diversity. Compared to a world racist, redneck stereotypes, it’s definitely an upgrade.

Red Wolf #1 succeeds in most of what it seeks to accomplish. It establishes Red Wolf as character worthy of respect and intrigue. At a time when characters like Peter Parker and Cyclops keep finding new ways to spit on their superhero credibility, his arrival in the All-New, All-Different Marvel universe couldn’t be more appropriate.

It’s still only a moderately engaging story. But at a time when good westerns are relegated to commercial-laden broadcasts on basic cable, it’s still enjoyable. It has the potential to succeed in ways not seen since Back to the Future III. Red Wolf just has to make sure he doesn’t hook up with any of his descendants.

Final Score: 7 out of 10