Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

And it's so... ugh.   Enraging.  On so many levels.   The authors were given so many opportunities to make the characters more than cardboard cutouts, to really flesh out both the characters and the society in Attilan, and each time they chose the easy way out.   

To start explaining my issues with this graphic novel, I have to explain a little about the fascist genetic council, and why they rule with such a heavy hand.   See, when Attilan was allowed to mate freely - the Inhumans chose their own partners and when they wanted to have children - the Terrigen mist exposed monstrosities underneath all that.   The mist works, so long as the genetics aren't all fucked up. 

And thus the genetic council was created, to eugenics this problem away.   They choose who will marry, and decide if anyone is allowed to procreate.   Medusa figures that the kingdom, and the genetics council, will be thrilled if the king has a son, an heir to the throne, so she gets pregnant on her own. 

The genetics council claims that since Black Bolt's power is so destructive, or can be, and he needs to maintain control, and be silent forever, he can't have a son.   It does not help that his brother is named 'Maximus the Mad' and is in fact mentally ill.   (Black Bolt caused this with one of his screams, and he bears a great sense of guilt over this, despite the fact that Max was conspiring with the Kree against Attilan.   Bolt did what he could think of at that moment, which only caused his brother's madness, and his parents' death.)   The council insists that she terminate the pregnancy.   

She goes to Earth, knowing that the air there is poison to her and her kind - the Inhumans - to save her child.    

Wow.   Just wow.   The stilted dialogue didn't help, but Karnak and Gorgon in particular were incredibly one-dimensional.   Black Bolt and Medusa a little less so, and we didn't see much of Triton or Crystal.   Karnak and Gorgon get into a fight, Karnak saying that he believes the council is old-fashioned.   Many of the younger Inhumans would rather die than be allowed to choose their own spouses.   Gorgon, soldier, and loyalist, that he is argues in favor of the council - until Medusa makes her announcement and flees to Earth.   The whole royal family follows her with the exception of Black Bolt who remains to rule, although he is clearly horrified by the council's decision. 

There are a couple issues here: the argument about if the council is old-fashioned, or if they're right because they're doing it for their own good, is dropped.   It could have been interesting to watch that argument followed through.   It never is.   It's completely forgotten after Medusa's announcement. 

I'm not even sure why Medusa, and her child, are welcomed back to Attilan.   They just are.   Has Black Bolt dismantled the council for the sake of his own child?    Not sure.   Did he use his power and position, or threaten to speak to the council - quite literally speak to them, thus destroying Attilan - to ensure Ahura is kept safe after he's born?   I don't know, but such a bargain could have meant that he gave something up himself, and could be interesting in the future.   Since these two authors dropped the ball, someone could pick up this line of thought. 

At one point, angry, Karnak calls Triton, his own brother, a fish-faced freak.   Karnak may not be warm and fuzzy, but he's never allowed his emotions to control him like this, and he's never been so casually cruel to Triton.   

Medusa refers to her 'bad girl' past, and at one point, Maximus says they are the black sheep of the royal family.   Clarification please?   Because Maximus is mentally ill, and even before, he was conspiring against the Inhumans with their once-captors, the alien Kree who had experimented on them.   Minor rebellions seem to me to pale in comparison with this.   And yet, without knowing of her past, we're to take it that she's 'bad' - and yes, the phrase 'bad girl' is written like that - and not only that but as bad as Maximus perhaps!   If she hasn't done anything equivalent to selling out her own people, then we have a giant load of sexism at play.   (Thank you team of male and female writers!)   Ingrained sexism, clearly, since it is Medusa herself who claims she's so bad, bad, bad!

Babies aren't evil.   Stop that, writers!   You heavily imply that Ahura is evil in the womb.  Because, this wasn't the cherry on top of this shit-cake, right?

Ugh.   Going over this shit depresses me.   

Learn what first cousins are, Marvel: 

"Medusalith Amaquelin was born to Quelin and Ambur, who were both members of the Inhumans. Quelinwas the brother of Rynda, the wife of King Agon"

"Rynda

CHARACTER » Rynda appears in 17 issues.