Ant-Man #3 *Spoilers and Thoughts*

[Ceebiro]

It's crazy to me how good this series is. I've never been too big on Spencer or Ant-Man for that matter, but he really seems to have turned it around with his work-for-hire stuff since Marvel NOW. Ant-Man keeps his hot streak alive with another highly entertaining episode and of the books I read this week it was my top pick. Rosanas continues to impress me with his linework and clear storytelling. I remember being disappointed that it wasn't Samnee drawing this book when it was announced, but I have not been disappointed with having Rosanas at all.


Spoilers:
The issue opens with some shady guy trying to convince Dr. Sondheim, a leading neurological and cardiac surgeon, to take on a job that could change the face of medical science for years to come. No biggie, except the part about this pitch being conducted at gunpoint.

Cut to some paperclip warehouse and we see Scott (with Grizzly) setting up and testing a new security system. Scott takes a lunch break to visit Cassie and listen to her drum practice for a recital that evening. She's terrible at it. Ex-wife Peggy tries to find out what he's up to moving to Miami full-time when she moved to Miami to get away from him and his superhero shenanigans.

Scott heads back to work to find that the alarm has been tripped and that he can't shut it down with the code he set up. He avoids the worst the system can throw at him (laser guns in a paperclip warehouse) only to run into Taskmaster. The two have a wonderful exchange on whether or not Taskmaster is his archnemesis. They throw down and Scott thinks he's got the upper hand with his ants but Taskmaster has a trump card. The paperclips are microbots and there are a tons of them.

Scott's overwhelmed but finds out that Taskmaster wasn't there to hurt him, just slow him down by Cross Technological Enterprises. Their target - Cassie. Their goal to revive Darren Cross. The shady guy from the beginning? Darren Cross's son, Augustine, who's apparently as delusional as Scott is.

[Rogue Star]

I was wrong about the paperclips...

I laughed so hard reading this issue. It was genius the way it started off looking as if Dr. (I forget her name) was at a job interview when she was actually being abducted! Lol Scott is extremely loveable because of his hopefulness and optimism in spite of his abysmal success rate. This could end up being a character defining series that finally gains Scott some fans. Spencer is doing an exemplary job so far.

(oh, I also love how Cassie actually looks like a 14 or 15 year old in this book.)

[CZor]

I am loving this book! So I guess this will be a way to bring (or use a Cross) in time for the movie.....and I'm still wondering if Cassie still have her powers, I guess this story could easily give us that answer soon.

And I'm no longer going to be easy around paperclips....for all I know someone could use them to kill me. lol

[Rogue Star]

I read the letters in the back and they said that they aren't doing things for the sake of the movie. I take it Scott Lang simply needs an arch-nemesis and Cross is the best option. I was also wondering if Cassie will resume using her powers but I totally get why they wouldn't for that for a while at least; this needs to be Scott's book. He needs to come into his own here. Cassandra would only end up upstaging him at this point.

[Samson3191]

What bizarre world have I stumbled into where Ant-Man is the book I look forward to most? I hardly knew anything about the character before this series and I can't say enough good things about it. This issue was another great read.

[nnelg]

I like the book but I don't recall Scott Lang being a bumbling buffoon.

[Probalus]

I am loving this book! So I guess this will be a way to bring (or use a Cross) in time for the movie.....and I'm still wondering if Cassie still have her powers, I guess this story could easily give us that answer soon.

And I'm no longer going to be easy around paperclips....for all I know someone could use them to kill me. lol

Didn't Cassie shrink down to the size of a toy house in issue #1? That should mean she still has her powers, no?

[chamber-music]

Reviving the Cross family and their company as ongoing Rogues for Scott Lang's Ant-Man makes sense. The Cross family are the closest thing he had to arch-enemies.

Augustine Cross has been mentioned as running the company after his father's death since the eighties but he has never made an appearance. Bringing Crossfire into the fold as a enemy is cool because even though he is Hawkeye's arch-enemy he rarely fights him in comics these days.

I was a little confused at first why Augustine called Crossfire his uncle because he is first cousins with his father but I guess it is one of those things where you just call an other relative uncle or aunt even through they aren't technically. I know some families do that.

Cassie still has her powers but she isn't using them. Peggy never really liked the idea of Cassie being a superhero and the fact she died has made her position even stronger.
The whole reason they moved back to Florida was to get away from superhero stuff. I don't think Spencer has any intention of Cassie suiting up again anytime soon which probably won't please Cassie fans but it is what it is.

[CZor]

Didn't Cassie shrink down to the size of a toy house in issue #1? That should mean she still has her powers, no?

Wow......for some reason I completely forgot that!....so yeah, it makes sense for her to have her powers still.

[Rogue Star]

I like the book but I don't recall Scott Lang being a bumbling buffoon.

Characters have to evolve. Especially those characters who are largely unremarkable and often regarded as being the worst of a number of people who have taken on a mantle. It's time to let go of what he was in the past, unless you actually liked him better then (I don't think there are many around here who do). I'm all for reinventing Scott Lang.

[itspopularnowitsucks]

Wow......for some reason I completely forgot that!....so yeah, it makes sense for her to have her powers still.

You don't need to have particles in your blood to shrink though.

Recent examples: Pym brought She-Hulk down with him; Janet was forced to shrink Havok with him; Even worse, Onslaught Sentinels and inverted Avengers just shrink whoever they want.

[Rogue Star]

Didn't Cassie shrink down to the size of a toy house in issue #1? That should mean she still has her powers, no?

Scott was the one who shrunk her down. They haven't addressed her powers yet, I don't think. I've been looking for some indication Cassie still has her powers but it appears they're intentionally keeping it in question.

Edit: On second thought, the fact that they knocked Cassie out rather than simply dragging her off could indicate that she still had the power to defend herself. Because abducting a powerless 14 year old girl should have been an easy job for a henchman.

[Trident]

Scott was the one who shrunk her down. They haven't addressed her powers yet, I don't think. I've been looking for some indication Cassie still has her powers but it appears they're intentionally keeping it in question.

Edit: On second thought, the fact that they knocked Cassie out rather than simply dragging her off could indicate that she still had the power to defend herself. Because abducting a powerless 14 year old girl should have been an easy job for a henchman.

Or they simply didn't want to deal with the struggle and possible attention she would put out. Then there's te whole Avengers training that she may or not still have.

I agree with you Rogue Star ... I don't think Cassie has her powers yet and was some how brought back physically before they developed. A few people have commented that she seemed younger so that seems the most logical option.

[CZor]

Ok, so I guess is not as clear because I'm one of those thinking that this might be a younger version (or with a younger body or whatever) of the one that had powers to begin with. And the fact that Crossfire took her out fast also was kinda letting me to think that maybe she still has powers/heroing, Avengers: Initiative training still?.

Hopefully next issue addresses this, even if she comments it would be nice to have powers and that's all we get.

[Kevinroc]

Spencer has said that Cassie hasn't been retconned in any way. It seems like the creative team elected not to focus too much on her recent past as the book establishes itself. But it appears we're going to get into what she's gone through really soon.