With October coming to an end there have been a lot of things that took place over the course of the month. From the events of Fear State taking over the Batman Family comic books to a new era for the Spider-Man franchise, October was a big month in the world of comic books. To highlight some of the big things that took place this month I’ve put together my Top 5 Comic Book Moments of October 2021. Whether it was one panel or a full double page spread there were a lot big things that took place across all the comics I read in my pull list. It was tough to narrow it down to just five standout moments from all the comic books I read but I did it. Scroll down to find out what made my Top 5 Comic Book Moments of October 2021.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #76
The Spider-Man Beyond direction is something I entered with a lot of mixed emotions about. When it comes to Ben Reilly, I do not hold him as high regard as others do. The 2017 Clone Conspiracy event from did the character no favors. And to be honest Ben’s arc did not get off to the best start with how big of an asshole he came across taking ownership of Spider-Man right in Peter Parker’s face.
To the credit of Zeb Wells and the Beyond Board Brain Trust they were aware of how unlikable Ben has been over the years by giving us this great scene between Ben and Peter. Ben still has a long journey ahead of him to be fully accepted as Spider-Man but genuinely asking Peter for permission was a good first step. Peter’s blessing really did go a long way while also placing questions on the status quo moving forward for the iconic Spider-Man.
BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS #8
One of the things I’ve mentioned in many of my reviews for all the DC Comics titles during the Infinite Frontier direction is how much Future State has played a role in different storylines. There have been a lot of titles that indicate that the DC Universe we saw in Future State is the future many characters are heading for. At the same time we’ve had many hints at how the events that caused Future State to become a thing are being altered and the current DC Universe’s future is actually unknown.
The biggest clue to the current DC Universe diverging from Future State came in the Outsiders back-up story in Batman: Urban Legends #8. As you see from the image above events took place in the Future State continuity that has caused the Black Lightning from that universe to arrive in the present day Gotham City. Not only that but he is already talking to the current Outsiders roster about Future State openly. This is something fans should not ignore as it could lead to an even bigger event that directly deals all these divergent points taking place at the same time.
DARK AGES #2
Some of the Elseworld and alternate universe stories are the ones that embrace the classic continuities of the DC Universe and Marvel Universe to show us a possible future for all our favorite superheroes. That is exactly the type of storytelling that Tom Taylor has mastered over the years. He has done it once again with his current Dark Ages mini-series that is using many classic takes on all of the Marvel heroes and villains.
That includes Apocalypse who has used the Earth going completely dark to begin a new reign of absolute power and control. Seeing how Apocalypse has used the likes of Purple Man and Magneto to do his bidding in very different ways is a refreshing take on the character. It definitely makes me miss the absolutely evil Apocalypse as a major Marvel antagonist.
INFERNO #2
Inferno #2 was the comic book that was hardest to narrow down one specific moment with. The entire comic book could make up this Top 5 list with the various developments that took place. That said I did pick this moment between Emma Frost, Charles Xavier, Magneto, and Moira MacTaggert that stood out above the rest. With Mystique forcing Xavier, Magneto, and Moira’s hand through her actions to bring Destiny back they made the decision to grow their inner circle.
The choice of Emma Frost could have many unintended consequences for the trio who created Krakoa. Because while Emma is an excellent choice to trust with this information about all of Moira’s previously lives since she understands the importance of keeping secrets. It could also come back to haunt Xavier, Magneto, and Moira given how influential Emma is that losing her loyalty will lead to something else that dwarfs anything Mystique has done during Inferno thus far.
NIGHTWING #85
Batman: The Killing Joke is a complicated story to talk about for many reasons. Which is why I appreciate when we have scenes like this written by Tom Taylor that treats Barbara Gordon’s role in that story with great care. Barbara’s own self-awareness about what Joker did was her just being a pawn in someone else’s story, in this case the story around the rivalry between Batman and Joker as well as if Jim Gordon would break bad. It is a pain that Barbara will never let go.
At the same time, it is important that Barbara has a strong support system around her as in this case Dick Grayson is there to remind her of all the amazing things she has done as Oracle and Batgirl since then. She has made as big of a difference in saving the DC Universe as much as the Justice League and other major superheroes. Dick Grayson reminding her of this was a great way to remind Barbara and the reader of how Oracle became a pillar of strength in the DCU. It also further emphasized the importance of the relationship Barbara and Dick have with one another.
Let me know what your favorite moments of the new comic book releases you read were by commenting below.
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