Marvel Unlimited Hot Takes Fresh On The Mind

Marvel Unlimited is probably the best way to check Spider-Man’s back catalogue! Him and many other names like Moon Knight: The Fist of Khonshu, the modern classic Immortal Hulk, and some surprises! Do any Wednesday Warriors know anything about The Vitals? If not, welcome to Marvel Unlimited Hot Takes!

In this corner of the internet, we’ll be going over the big themes and highlights of the month. With tens of thousands of titles to choose from in the House of Ideas, a little guidance goes a long way.

Marvel Unlimited Hot Takes: Staying Current

Let’s start with the most popular ongoing: Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu. This series continues Jed McKay’s phenomenal run of the Lunar Legionnaire. Best of all, it doesn’t require backtracking! Alessandro Cappuccio and Rachelle Rosenberg make every action scene a sight to behold. Plus every major character feels larger than life.

Which is also what serves as the main conflict. The Midnight Mission gives purpose to people who have lost their way. Including C-List hero Tigra and even ex D-List villain 8-Ball. They each bring compassion and levity to the stoic leads trying to find their best way forward. Problem is, finding a new direction is like twisting truths to tell a better story. Something that the villains make full use of.

Immortal Impressions

The Immortal Hulk by Al Ewing is a modern masterpiece. To this day, it touches audiences with its existential themes of anger, death, changes, and purpose. Most of the art by Joe Bennett among several others bring sublime and terrifying experiences that make the title character a real force of nature. One that both fills people with dread and a sense of purpose.

The most unique case comes from one of the Hulk’s rogues, The Leader. He is a perfect reflection of the Green Goliath as his civilian and powered self reach symbiosis in purpose. Something that Bruce Banner and the Hulk still struggle with.

Is This About Sam Wilson Or Captain America?

Meanwhile for people wanting to avoid the more existential stuff, there’s a lot of hype around a movie. It’s less about who or what’s in it, and more about the core. At the heart, it’s about where the former Falcon came from, his differences with Steve Rogers, and what Captain America means to the world. Especially when your identity can become a weapon.

Marvel Unlimited Hot Takes: Guardians of the Galaxy Sell Out

Okay not all of the time. All-New Guardians of the Galaxy deal with how these misfits are taking their lives in stride despite some roadblocks. Still loved and appreciated after its heyday. It’s just that appearing in comics sponsored by Ford and Hanes… it’s hard not to see them as merchandise. To say nothing of a tie-in to an app game.

Marvel Unlimited Hot Takes: Nostalgia Is In Swing

A lot of comics getting attention are either from or extensions of the late 80s to mid 90s. While the stereotypes codified by Rob Liefeld and The Dark Design are definitely around, there’s more. If anything, the focus is on an overlooked part of this era: experimentation and learning from the past.

Flashback

Flashback has been bringing fans in for months. It was an initiative in ’97 to develop characters in more retro styles. Unlike the loud and EXTREME early 90s, there’s enthusiasm in simpler art with more modern layouts. Every characters’ past shows layers that made them into the heroes they are today.

Each in a spectrum of characters with diverse personalities. Most of Spider-Man’s are an everyman’s flight of fancy. Anything involving the X-Men is a middle ground between that and more serious topics like confronting mortality. Meanwhile titles like Elektra deal with more grounded street crime. Then there are some that dance around the labels like Ka-Zar and Silver Surfer.

If I have to guess why people go to these so often, it’s probably to get a better idea of heroes more than origins steeped in dated trends. More dynamic visual storytelling can leave a better impression.

Miracle on 1290 Avenue

Next let’s go over what kicked off the British Invasion, Miracleman. It has a lot on its shoulders, especially in more recent times. Less said the better. But for anyone who wants to see the legacy and effects it has on the modern day, the whole franchise is worth checking out. Because it’s not just about the violence, it’s the literary theatricality that make audiences.

Crash of the 80s

Iron Man: Crash is an…interesting case. The “first computer generated” graphic novel apparently. CGI was still pretty new in ’87 so the visuals are more than a little dated, especially in a limited color palate. Not to mention the captions and dialogue made with basic Microsoft Word look very sterile and unpolished. As for the plot, Ghost in the Shell does it better.

Then there’s Wolfpack, a series trying to combine a lot of 80s pop culture cliches. Street gangs, ninjas, urban decay, and moral lessons so over-the-top you can’t take them seriously.

Honestly fans seem to like these more as “so bad, it’s good” artifacts. Unlike more celebrated, if oversaturated graphic novels such as X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills and Daredevil: Love and War. Or the just okay ending of creators runs like Killraven and Cloak & Dagger.

The Marvel Legacies

The Earth X and Thanos: Infinity Trilogies are all by renown creators in the 90s. Ironically, each confront existential cosmic themes of people coming into godhood. The problem for laymen and reality spanning epics, it’s easy to lose track unless you’re really into it. More power to diehard fans seeing it to the end, but it looks like the pace won’t be for everyone.

Around the same time was a next generation of Marvel. It’s just that the only one that lasts is Spider-Girl. Now that more fun Spider-Man adventures are in higher demand.

Then there’s the event Empyre, built off of events going back to the 70s. Or maybe it’s just the tie-ins that strike the most chords. Because the outline of the whole thing is showing two stories happening at the same time. Yet they’re connected by the same grounded theme, being raised on nothing but someone else’s dream.

The Outliers

As for the final Marvel Unlimited Hot Takes, it’s a mix of stuff from my underrated Marvel list and surprises. Peter David’s Captain Marvel saga starring the doomed to be forgotten Genis-Vell features both humor and biting characterization. But the biggest surprise is The Vitals, digital only true stories of emergency workers during the Covid Pandemic. The stakes and stresses are felt throughout to get what it means to save lives.

Along with these are more accessible series like Zombies Assemble, Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four, and Kurt Busiek’s Avengers.

Marvel Unlimited Hot Takes Summary

This month, Marvel fans get their subscription money’s worth in Marvel Unlimited. In one corner, you’ve got stories that stand the test of time. Whether they’re looking modern visual storytelling sagas, brushing up on their history, or just looking for ironic fun times, they’ll find it all here. Whether you’re a casual, a content consumer, or a Marvel super fan, you’ll find something.

Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.