There are many teams of Avengers out there: West Coast Avengers, East Coast Avengers, Great Lakes Avengers, New Avengers, Dark Avengers, Mighty Avengers, Ultimate Avengers, Young Avengers. Now, Marvel provides us yet another reinterpretation of the classic comic team with the Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow animated movie. As far as Marvel's animated movies go, they have often been very hit or miss, either providing a great story or just providing an animated mess. I had avoided the Next Avengers since it first came out due to the fact it obviously looked like a poor entry into their series, and after viewing it I can say that I'm right.

As far as stories go, the movie itself is about the children of all the Avengers who have since taken on roles training to be like their parents, despite never knowing them. After Hank Pym creates Ultron, the robot manages to finally defeat and kill all the original Avengers except for Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk. However, Thor left Earth for Asgard and the Hulk hasn't been seen in years. Tony Stark is the only remaining member of the Avengers at the start of the movie, and he has taken charge of raising the children. The movie opens with them living in seclusion when the sudden return of the Vision instigates the chain of events that result in Ultron discovering the children's location as well as taking over a collective of Iron Avengers created by Tony Stark.

The writing for the movie itself is pretty poor, but it's clearly a movie aimed at children as opposed to the previous animated movies where Marvel has tried to appeal it's main fans. The children themselves are pretty whiney and annoying, especially Pym's kid, who spends the whole movie shouting. The evolution of the characters is also pretty poor, because the movie starts with Captain America's kid being a brat and just because he incites the whole Ultron finding them scenario, he becomes this naturally born leader? Even with Steve Rogers as his father, he openly admits to have never known his father, so on what grounds is he so good at emulating him? Obviously enough, the coolest character in the movie is Hawkeye's kid, Francis Barton, who emulates Hawkeye because he knew Hawkeye. He's suave, he's smart, and he's killer with his bow and arrow, and he is the one who makes the movie worth watching as far as main characters go. Only problem is, he doesn't show up until about halfway through the movie.

Ultimately, the movie just doesn't work. I am all for alternate and depressing realities where machines rule and everyone is dead, but this just fails to entertain. It simply trods along, telling it's story in a very linear and boring fashion. I didn't go in with high expectations or anything, but it still didn't manage to really entertain me. If I was younger, this might have passed for something cool and exciting, but when I'm familiar with other Marvel animated movies like Ultimate Avengers and Hulk Vs., I just know that they can deliver better stories.

Don't take my word for it, though. Check out the following trailer, and if interested, the movie is out now in stores everywhere. You'd be better off getting any one of the other movies, though.

While comics are growing increasingly accepted in the mainstream as a form of entertainment, there is still a bit of a stigma surrounding the medium. It's a hard thing to escape for the industry, but every once in a while a book doesn't just escape it, it becomes something of a pop culture phenomenon. Watchmen is the best example of a comic that transcended the perceived limitations of the medium, and another great example of that is Y the Last Man.

Y the Last Man was co-created by writer Brian K. Vaughan (Lost, Ex-Machina, Runaways) and artist Pia Guerra, and it has recently exploded in popularity, being featured in television shows like Lost and Chuck and bringing in A-list fans like Shia LaBeouf. Why exactly is this comic getting such crazy support and making its way to heights that few comic properties have managed to reach? Quite simply, it's freaking awesome. In fact, I would say that in my mind that this and Preacher are the two greatest series ever created in the medium.

Amongst the many, many reasons why, the first thing you have to target is the premise, which is something that gave the series limitless potential from the beginning. It is very simple really: what would happen if all of the men on Earth died, and what would you do if you were him? It opens the series up to incredibly interesting studies on many subject matters, including gender roles, the ethics of cloning, sexuality, and many others, all of which add a level of depth to the comic that other similar series simply cannot match. Ultimately though, with all that depth and with the search for the cause of the virtual extinction of men being the apparent driving force, in my mind the story is about the main character Yorick Brown becoming the man he was supposed to be and the journey he takes to become that person.

Brian K. Vaughan does an incredible job constantly juggling the different aspects of the story. Whether he's pushing the story forward, developing the large cast of characters, building a believable romance between two greatly disaparate characters, adding in social commentary, or simply entertaining us with one of the patented Yorick one-liners, Vaughan shows a deft touch at balancing all aspects of this sprawling 60 issue story. He creates three of the most memorable characters in comic history, with the aforementioned protagonist Yorick Brown, his spectacularly loyal pet capuchin monkey Ampersand, and Yorick's mysterious and badass protector 355, all of whom you develop intense emotional attachment to in this series (issue 42, titled "1,000 Typewriters," explores the relationship between Yorick and Ampersand, but through the eyes of Amp and is quite possibly the best issue of the series).

Of course, the story, the characters, and the writing only make up one aspect of the story, and for a comic to really become something special you need great art to go with it. Thank god for Pia Guerra, who was really doing her first major work with this series and was an absolute revelation. While a couple of other artists worked on this series (most notably Goran Sudzuka), Guerra's work as co-creator, character designer, and primary artist was what gave the series a lot of its flair. Within her incredibly clean lines and tight and realistic designs, you would find little bits of character that was not overtly revealed by Vaughan within his words.

Vaughan's faith in Guerra is obvious, as in many issues (most notably at the end of the series) you would have pages loaded with panels where it would just be Guerra selling scenes with nothing more than an arm movement here, a facial tic there. To say her work is sublime is underselling it. I would say you should check out this series if only to see her work.

In the 60 issues of this series, I cannot think of a single issue that I would change. I don't even think I can say that about Preacher, but for this series it is absolutely true. Top to bottom, this is the most consistently enjoyable comic series I've ever read. It is infused with pop culture references, hilarious one liners, tragedy, comedy, and basically everything you could possibly want from a comic. This isn't just a must read for comic fans, this is a must read for everyone. It's the only comic I would say that about.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Starting next week, Wednesday Is New Comic Book Day! will be shortened down and shared between both David and myself. This is in an effort to weed out the books no one really cares about and just stick to concise and informative reviews of big titles. I have started the trend by removing all "pending" titles, and while I will still update periodically with new reviews, in the future it will be a bit more manageable.

Every Wednesday to geeks like me across the country is the best day of the week. Being able to go through a long day of school or work and then coming home to read adventures of your favorite heroes and villains is a reward in and of itself. It only makes sense that every Thursday, then, we have a weekly article talking about what we've read that week. While I can't speak for the other writers of this site, I, your humble host, will most definitely be writing every Thursday my impressions of the books I've been reading.

For the record, I usually spend about $30-$60 on comics a week, so forgive me if I am a little slow. I promise I will always deliver, though. I'll just have to do it in small bits and pieces and write as I read. So without further ado,

Note: You'll notice there is no one specific recommended book this week. This is because there are so many good books out this week it was too hard to pick. If you are wondering what are must pick ups, however, I'd tell you to get Green Lantern, Uncanny X-Men, Secret Warriors, Thor, and X-Factor. These are my favorites so far.

Other note: I don't know why, but I noticed that I breezed through a lot of comics this week. Maybe it was the large two-page art, or perhaps it was the heavy action oriented sequences, but I spent much less time reading such a large stack of comics. Just a random thought.

Amazing Spider-Man #598
Oh, Spider-Man. On the one hand, I think this book is really great. I really enjoy the American Son arc. All the interactions with Norman Osborn are great and really show what a devil he is, as compared to other books where he either comes off as just a pompous and arrogant ass or a "misunderstood" citizen. In the last issue, we left off with him flat out shooting Spider-Man in the head at point blank range. Obviously, we knew there would be some twist to it because how can anyone kill off Spider-Man like this? And the twist presented is really great in my opinion. It sets it up for a lot of humor on Spidey's part, dispite the fact he had just been shot in the head and is subsequently tortured. There is one really great sequence with Bullseye that had me laughing pretty hard. However, on the other hand, I really don't care for Menace/Lily. As far as all the new characters go, I think she was one of the worst, and not only does she make the cover of this issue hard to look at, but her inclusion in this issue just proves me right in consistently disliking her. I think that when Menace was a more abstract character with no identity, s/he was much more tolerable. Lily, however, has always been on the bottom of my care list, and this issue doesn't change anything about my feelings toward her. It's nice to see Harry Osborn step up to the plate for the first time since Brand New Day, though, (discluding his brief stint in the suit at the end of Character Assassination), and I still like the American Son idea. I think that the next issue will be interesting based on where this follows, however I do think that it will ultimately disappoint because no matter what, we know Dark Reign continues, so whatever retribution Spider-Man delivers will ultimately end in Spider-Man being the true loser, which is unfortunate. We'll get there as we get there, though.

Daredevil #119
There is one thing about Ed Brubaker's writing that I really truly love, and that is that by the end of his stories, it always comes full circle. We started our adventure in Daredevil with Matt Murdock behind bars together, and now we come to our ending with both of them out on the street and working together. But to what end? In this issue, one away from Brubaker's finale with issue #500, most of the twists of this plot begin to truly take form. Who is allied with who? Who has been a rat all along? I think that, for the most part, it should come as no surprise to anyone exactly what some of the characters motives have been, but just like a good penultimate issue should, it sets everyone up for a big finale. It makes me sad to see this series coming to it's conclusion with Brubaker, but at least I can't complain against his work. All of it has been solid, and this issue is no different. I'll say that this issue is definitely the slowest issue so far, though. Not a lot technically happens. As I said, it merely goes to set up the big finale, but even in that I think it succeeds far more than most series end up succeeding with an issue like this. Brubaker is one of the few who can really pull off a slow paced issue like this and make it just as intriguing as any other that is filled with intense action and betrayal. I get the feeling that Daredevil has been over looked by a lot of people because comic stores I frequent continually don't carry it, and that's unfortunate. But if I have any say in it, I'd highly recommend you go catch up on what has been going on in Daredevil with a Brubaker Omnibus or something, because this finale is sure to be dynamite.

Dark Avengers #6
This is probably the best issue of Dark Avengers since the first issue. Ok, so we've only had 6 issues total, but this one... man. It brough "it." My first big praise goes to the artwork. I was absolutely floored by it this issue. The sequence in the beginning with the Cabal and the Sentry under the sea are particular stand outs in my mind. There is one page that could have been one big of artwork but was split into four panels that I just stared at for a bit and thought to myself, "Man. That works." My second praise goes to, obviously, the story. With the last issue we had a big development with the ending when a group of Atlantean terrorists attacking the surface, so obviously we assumed that this was the next "big" arc of the Dark Avengers story. But how could this be with the Utopia crossover right around the corner? Well, not only does this issue explain that, but it gives a great example of how ruthless Norman can be and how fractured his psyche truly is. This issue covered a lot of ground of what I expected Dark Avengers to always cover. With this series, it's not so much about the adventures of the team that matters because the Dark Avengers appear everywhere in the Marvel U at this point. For me, I've always wanted to see more about the behind the scenes works of Norman and the world he is creating. This issue showed that very well, and while I know this series obviously won't be a lasting one, I'm glad that it's been good while we have it.

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1
This is the first big crossover for Dark Reign ("big" as in this one actually matters, Deadpool) and I gotta say it's off to a tremendous start. I had been wondering about the "Dark X-Men" ads and solicitations that had been popping up and wondering in what crazy world would any of that make sense. Did we really need another X-Team, even if was for a short time period? And why is Professor X and Namor on the team? I had given up on the X-Men books because I thought they were getting too convuluted (even if there were some awesome runs like Grant Morrison's New X-Men), but after House of M and the severe drop of mutants in the world, I've found it all more tolerable. So, as much as I went into Utopia with high hopes due to my recent love for Uncanny as well as my natural trepedation due to X-Men being nothing like it was when I was a kid, I must say that the Utopia prologue was 100% bad ass. It was a big opener and it set the bar high, but I don't think I should expect anything less from Matt Fraction and Brian Michael Bendis. Without having followed the recent X-Men stuff, I think it might be confusing to new readers, but then again who cares about them? I love that this easily fits into Norman's Dark Reign world thanks to Emma Frost being on the Cabal, and I think it's absolutely awesome what happens with her in this issue. Not just that, but the last few pages are shaped so well, showing where our main characters all end up and setting up the future of the crossover. Cyclops, Beast, and Emma Frost all seem like pawns in Norman's game at this point, and he's expertly manipulating them. This is definitely going to lead to one of the biggest status quo changes in the X-Men since Professor X left and Scott start bumping uglies with Emma both "before" and after the inevitable re-loss of Jean Grey. Like I said: we're in a new world for the X-Men. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Also, I must say, I think it's pretty funny that Dark Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, and Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men all came out in the same week. We're all familiar to comic books not keeping to their deadlines (hey, anyone remember that series called the Twelve?) but Marvel is definitely rushing some of the work out in order to match up with it's timeline for Dark Reign. What this shows me is there is a clear cut ending point to all of this, and that makes me happy.

Dark Reign: Elektra #4
I've been really positive to most of the Dark Reign tie-ins that I've read. You know why? Because they're actually good. And you know what the first one was? Elektra. A lot of people laughed at me when I picked it up, but jokes on them because the Elektra mini rocks. This issue is no exception. This series has great writing and great artwork, and it all deals with the most unlikely of stars, Elektra. I think what really makes this book great is the consistency in guest stars. Granted, each cover ruins a bit more of the guests (kind of like with Fantastic Force), but still. You can't have an Elektra returns book without Bullseye, and he is there in full form. The writing of his character is so great, it actually makes other books with Bullseye in them look kind of poor. I think what works is that these characters are in their essential elements again, so while most of Marvel has under gone huge changes, Elektra brings it back to her roots and her climactic battle against the world's greatest hitman. So three cheers for Dark Reign: Elektra. It's by far in my top 5 for the Dark Reign mini tie-ins.

Dark Reign: The Hood #2
I think I've always been pretty outspoken about my love for the Hood. I also remember praising the first issue, especially for bringing the original Hood artist back as well as some of the original cast of characters he had. While there will always be that one plot line that was never finished, what I love is that my comic book guy (who has never read the original Hood mini by Brian K Vaughn) loves the Hood now thanks to this book fleshing his character out some more. For people like me who read the mini, this whole thing feels like fan service (as much fan service as one can get for a character like this, anyway). Since Bendis re-tooling of the character to be a servant of Dormamu as well as a kingpin of crime, we've sort of forgotten that Parker Robbins has a life outside of his criminal empire. We also haven't had a lot of depth to the character other than that he is a ridiculously smart and powerful villain for someone as new to the game as him. So as much as the future of the Hood is hazy (see New Avengers), I'm glad to have this mini. Dark Reign has been readily steady with the tie-in minis, and this is definitely no exception.

Green Lantern #42
I praised the last issue of Green Lantern for it's phenomenal story telling as well as the amazing artwork. To be honest, I think that if I just copy/pasted that review to this issue, it would suffice as an accurate portrayal of my love for it. Once again, Green Lantern absolutely knocks it out of the park. Honestly, you'd think after 42 issues that this book would not be as good as it is, but it keeps getting better with every issue! The impending War of Light, the Blackest Night just around the corner... I don't think I could be any more excited. On top of that, Hal Jordan is still kicking so much ass it's ridiculous. Is it legal for one character to be so damn awesome? Seriously. Geoff Johns has put together the single greatest storyline in DC at the moment, and I can not wait for the Blackest Night even remotely at this point. This issue is full of awesome little teases and hints toward the future, and it's all very exciting for a fanboy like myself. Th sequence where Hal actually gets the Orange Lantern temporarily is absolutely phenomenal as well. It's really fun to see what the world through other Lantern's eyes look like, and we've seen Hal with Green and Blue, and we've seen other characters and bits of what it might be like to be them, but to have Hal Jordan full on experience the greed of the Orange Lantern's light was a real treat. I used to stay strictly with Marvel books, but Green Lanten pulled me in and I'm very glad it happened. This book is so worth it.

On another note, for those who have twitter, I recommend following Geoff Johns' twitter account. He tells such epic stories involving the quests for slurpees and his need for the Ghostbusters videogame that I often think to myself, "Man, he should just translate this to a comic book! It'd be epic!"

Incredible Hercules #130
The Incredible Hercules is definitely one of the most steady books there is in terms of enjoyment. While I wouldn't say it's a big hit or anything, it is defintely a cult following book. Pak does a great job of writing a book that not only features characters that are easy to adore but also is mixed with a good pace as well as humor. This is probably the most emotion driven book yet with Zeus himself on trial for crimes against humanity. There has always been a question as to what God is in the Marvel U since everything exists at once, but it would seem that in the end the afterlife belongs to Greek Mythology. I found the whole scene with Zeus addressing the crowd at his trial quite intense and entirely appropriate. On top of that, this book features the single greatest cameo appearance of all time. I don't know how anyone can top this one, it's just that amazing of a cameo. On top of that, a long time coming twist appears by the end, and by long time coming, I am talking through years and years of Greek lore, not just comic book history. Suffice it to say, Incredible Hercules is definitely the cult hit to be following in the Marvel U. While the implications of this book probably will do nothing to the grand scheme of things, it's definitely a great and well written read.

The Literals #3
(Note: this review technically has spoilers. Be warned.)"And the crossover ended." The following review will probably seem a bit confusing, but I'd like to state that I both like and dislike the crossover a lot when all is said and done. I'll start with things I like: I like the ending. I like how things were solved and the inclusion of Dex. It made sense. I like that the Literals are finally out of the picture and the story is becoming a bit more centralized like it used to be. This is all positive. But then there is the glaring negative: in the long run, a lot of it isn't solved. Or, in another way to look at it, a lot of it ended up just being pointless. The crossover was all over the place in storylines, trying to fit Jack back in and make the Literals accessible for those not following Jack. Let's face it, though: Jack was one of the worst characters. When he left, it was definitely for the better. I didn't miss him. And when I heard about the crossover and began reading Jack of Fables to catch up, it felt like a chore. Fables kind of breaks the mold for Vertigo books in a sense. While in the past we've had books that have had mini-tie ins and spin-offs of sorts (i.e. the Saint of Killers mini for Preacher, as well as the back up issues on certain characters), Fables is the first book in the Vertigo line (that I know about) to take the huge leap in having not only a spin-off but also a crossover with said spin-off. It's a weighty goal to take a book from it's central story arc and throw in this new element, and Fables didn't do it with much grace. Here we have a community that's being screwed up due to Mr. Dark, and instead of taking the time to explore it like the fans want, Fables took another path and followed into the adventures of Jack Of Fables, which as I have found not that many people were following as religiously. If I hadn't gone and read through all 30 issues of Jack of Fables before the crossover, it would have seemed like such a mess to me. So the Great Fables Crossover wasn't so great, but it ended fairly satisfactory. When I tell people about how great a book Fables is, this definitely isn't an example of it that I'd bring up, and I'm more glad that it's over than I am that it happened. But I applaud the creative team taking the risk in making it. It was a good idea at first - it just didn't follow through all that well.

New Avengers #54
I have a love hate relationship with Brian Michael Bendis. I love that he has the balls to just go and change everything on such a drastic scale. However, sometimes I hate his decisions. This issue is definitely one of them. Recently, we've been focussed on the introduction of a new Sorcerer Supreme. This has directly involved the Hood, who wants the title because Dormamu commands him to get it. We've had the Hood taken over by Dormamu at little points here and there, but this issue focuses directly on that aspect of the Hood's relationship with the demi-Demon God, or whatever you want to call him. The thing is, in the world of Dark Reign we have some definite rules to play by, and while New Avengers has been the book to follow in regards to all the big changes and events in the Marvel U (we've seen the Civil War and Secret Invasion both come directly from this), you can pretty much take anything inside it as definite future canon. Bendis not only sets up a big arc to come in the future (which people may or may not pick up on) but he also does some irrevocable damage that I'm not sure I like. No, scratch that, I'm positive I don't like. I also think it's a little bit disrespectful to fans, but this is a huge spoiler so I won't get too much into it. I might write an article about it in the future, but all I can say for now is that while I love the New Avengers, this issue definitely ticked me off. I'm not going to say that New Avengers is on any kind of downward spiral, but I definitely both love and hate the direction it's taking following the events of Secret Invasion. It's kind of a roller coaster ride, which is something I also love/hate, because while I think they're fun to be on, they make me feel sick. In describing how I feel about New Avengers lately, that's a little bit harsh, but it still works as an analogy I think.

Secret Warriors #5
You know what I love? Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos kicking ass. You know what happens in this issue? Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos kick a whole lot of ass. While he was definitely unknown to me before, I think I'll pretty much read anything Jonathan Hickman writes at this point because this book has been so phenomenal. In fact, I had no real interest in Fantastic Four stories not involving Dr. Doom until Mark Millar started, and I decided I wouldn't continue reading after his run, but knowing Jonathan Hickman is the next author up, I'm definitely keeping that book in my pull. Hickman has such an excellent way of conveying his story. What we end up having is this incredibly satisfying revenge story of sorts putting Nick Fury in the central spotlight like he needs to be. Nick Fury has been an in and out character of the Marvel Universe ever since Bendis' big over-arcing Secret Invasion plan began back with Secret War. This is not to say that he has been entirely absent, but he's been pulling strings much less. After years of having Nick Fury as the head of SHIELD and forgetting the soldier we used to be, we get this perfect rendition of Nick Fury the soldier once again. On top of that, Hydra (who used to essentially be such a joke of an organization) have really become this horrifying organization, and someone that you truly should fear. It's insane how much Jonathan Hickman has accomplished in such a small amount of time. So if you're not getting this book, I don't know what to tell you. You're definitely missing out on the best Marvel books available right now. The ending of this issue is so amazing, by the way. When I got to it, I freaked out, mostly because I didn't want it to end. I'm almost sad I didn't wait until trade to get it because I hate the wait time between issues. I always want to know what's going to happen right away. It's just that good.

Thor #602
Thor has essentially been the absolute definition of a God based epic so far. Now Loki is back in his original body and Sif is found, but what does this mean for Thor? Another huge plot point is revealed in this issue that is almost certainly leading up to whatever Loki's ultimate endgame is, and there is no doubt in anyone's mind that he has something sinister planned. Thor is a rather popular character, and to see him being given such an appropriate treatment is very heart warming, especially after all that has happened in Thor's past. It makes his return to comics that much more triumphant. Furthermore, J. Michael Straczynski has proven that, despite some meh work on other titles (Cable), he can write a really great over-arcing story. Ever since it started, we've received a great story full of appropriate twists and turns to keep tugging us along at a steady pace. With the finale a few months around the corner, the tension and excitement is incredibly high for this title, and you just know that the ending won't dissapoint. This is definitely a top book, especially with a clear end in sight, so if there was ever a time to rush and catch up, it is now.

Thunderbolts #133
Thunderbolts by Andy Diggle is not as good as Thunderbolts by Warren Ellis, but it's still an interesting read. I think what is best about is that the cast of characters is made up of people we don't know, so it's essentially like reading a brand new series. I mean, let's be honest, who really knew about Ghost and Headsman and Mister X? We have a collection of very minor characters suddenly thrust into a very important role in the shaping of the world, and this is what makes the series. This issue is no different, introducing yet another new character to the cast that is an unknown. The thing that bugs me about Thunderbolts is that we're taking so long to get into any real action. Every issue centralizes around waiting for a new character to show up and add to the team with very little plot development. Sure, there is a new "bombshell" dropped in this issue (and one I definitely cheered for) but all things considered, we have no idea what these Thunderbolts can really do. There's no real point to them at this point. I like the return of Songbird, and I think that was well written, but it's kind of a foot note to the rest of the story because it appears that the knowledge of her return is simply a future plot device and didn't hold anything over the team this time around. So while I support this series and what it's doing, it sure is taking it's sweet time to get to the point of it all.

Uncanny X-Men #512
Matt Fraction's X-Men is so good it makes me want to cry. This issue was essentially a steam punk X-Men issue, and those that know me know that I love steam punk. Going back in time, Beast and the X-Club travel to meet Dr. Nemesis' parents in order to extract some blood to find out more about the events around M-Day. What's great about this is it ties in so well to all the goings on of the current X-Men stories in the future. On top of that, it finally provides some explanation to the giant God standing in the middle of California, to which the High Evolutionary and Magneto have also been tied to. While ultimately I would prefer to see the teased return of Eric Magnus, I love the direction this book is heading in. As far as a segue goes between this and Utopia, it works perfectly. I really like that Beast has finally taken center stage after years of being just the team doctor. While he's always been a central X-Man, now he is THE central X-Man, and I feel it's very deserving. Matt Fraction is definitely the reason I keep going back to this book because his writing in it is absolutely phenomenal, and I would say that it's even better than Brubaker's ever so important run that happened just before it. And coming from me you know that's high praise. A highly recommended piece of work.

Wolverine Noir #3
As far as the Noir books go, this one registers as just ok. It's not overly special, but it's not exactly a let down either. The story combines elements of Wolverine's true origin as well as what we know Wolverine for. I'm not overly a fan of the artwork, though. It's very muddy, and I understand that it's supposed to "look noir," but more than anything it just looks messy. I find that I'm not too interested in this one, definitely not as much as I was the other noir books. This one, despite having Logan being a detective and having plenty of dames and portrayal, really isn't so much of a noir story as it is just a story of a guy who lives on the wrong side of the tracks set in the late 1940's. It shows that the writers really don't have an exact concept of what noir is other than when noir was popularized. This is definitely at the bottom of the list of the noir titles so far, and is very easily passable.

Wolverine: Weapon X #3
I think that a lot of people have been asking why there needed to be another Wolverine title. Sure, Jason Aaron has an excellent grasp on the character. Sure, Jason Aaron is a great writer. Sure, Ron Garney's art is pretty bad ass. But why should we read another Wolverine title? We have so many. Well, I'll tell you why: because this series has Maverick. That's right, Nord himself shows up this issue to kick some crazy amounts of ass. Maverick was a huge loss in M-Day for kids like me, and while he's still managed to be a good character, his only major appearance was briefly in Wolverine: Origins. Now, we have a comic that has him as a full on main character, and that is a great thing. See, while Wolverine: Weapon X boasts a great writer and artist, there is nothing overly special about it still. The story itself has not really developed, and what has developed has not been anything to really write how about despite the talent. But I feel that with the inclusion of Maverick, it will get a lot better. Maybe that's just the fanboy in me, but if Gil can love Uncanny just because Psylocke shows up, I can love Weapon X because Maverick shows up.

X-Factor #45
My major complaint with the last issue was not enough Shatterstar, but I don't have that complaint at all with this one. First off, can we all get it straight that the artwork in this book is so good? We're talking pie in the diner "soooo good." This issue, while it felt a little short, was still awesome. We got to see alternate future Doom, who is just as twisted (both figuratively and literally) as the reality Doom. We also get to finally catch a glimpse of Cortex, as well as develop an inkling for who he is. I think, as far as the combination of crazy events goes, X-Factor is one of the best titles, because as much as a lot happens that confuses you, it all has rewarding pay offs that make sense. I must really commend Peter David because he has taken a group of characters who hadn't been really used in a while and came them an incredible new definition and purpose, as well as creating what is easily the biggest cult X title of the moment. As much as I praise Uncanny X-Men and X-Force, this is definitely the best title involved in the X-World. This issue is a definite example of that: great art, great characters, great story. Especially recently, this book has managed to excell beyond excell since the "birth of Madrox's son" issue. I would recommend that anyone who doubts Marvel's ability at stories look no further than this book.

X-Force #16
">X-Force was definitely one of my favorite X-titles, and I was highly anticipating Messiah War, but all things considered, I think it was a bit of a let down in the end. It's a sequel to Messiah Complex, so that's where my expectations came from, and Messiah Complex was phenomenal. Downright astounding, even. This story left very little impression on me. Frankly, I'm happy to see X-Force go back to normal and to be able to stop caring about what happens in an issue of Cable. It's unfortunate because it started off so promising, what with Stryfe, Apocalypse, and Deadpool having central roles in addition to Cable and X-Force, but by the end of it nothing was truly accomplished. It definitely missed out in a lot of the coolness of what made Messiah Complex such a great read. I think the only really good thing to come out of this was the official return of Apocalypse, which is something that has needed to happen for a very long time. Apocalypse even offers some foreshadow for the future, whatever the last Messiah story will be in the Messiah Trilogy. I also really wish Bishop's story would end already. He continually gets beat to Hell, but still he persists in trying to kill Hope. It's kind of a tired story at this point. So I'm happy to see X-Force regain some sense of normality, even if it loses it's current artist. Aside from a couple wasted issues, that's the biggest lost we have.

Astonishing X-Men #30
Joss Whedon left big shoes to fill for Warren Ellis, and as good as Warren Ellis is as a writer, he hasn't been able to fill them. To be honest, he hasn't really been able to get one toe in them somehow. The whole Ghost Box thing up to this issue has been really "meh," including it's two issue tie-in. This issue, however, redeemed my faith in Warren Ellis as an X-Men writer. It's kind of sad in a way that it took the end of Ghost Boxes to make it interesting, but such is the case. The team of Whedon/Cassady just had such a great 25 issue run that it's tough to make a follow up to it, and Binoche's artwork doesn't help. Ellis' writing lacks the humor and charm, and his new additions to the X-Universe aren't compelling or ground breaking in the way that introducing SWORD was. And as far as the art goes, having crisp and clear artwork and moving forward to ugly characters with a dirty look to them, as well as oddly shaped bodies, is not a pretty sight. The ending of Ghost Boxes is surprisingly pleasant, though. I like the way things were "wrapped up", in a way that this could still continue in some mysterious sense. Forge plays a great role in the issue too, and I love the speech he gives about how he's tired of being a bit player in someone else's war. So while the rest of the series had been a bit convoluted and jumbled, the ending really centralized the entire story and made it worthwhile. While Warren Ellis still has a lot to do in order to make something comparable to the last 25 issues, he at least finally got his big toe in that shoe!

As a random side note, I am having an amazing time with my analogies this week. New Avengers as a roller coaster ride, and now Astonishing X-Men as a giant existential shoe? Boy, I'm creative!

Avengers Initiative #25
I think that putting the title "Disassembled" on this title is a bit offensive to REAL Avengers fans. I mean, besides the obvious fact that the Avengers Initiative undermines the whole purpose of the Avengers (and it was designed to do so), nothing is disassembled really, and this will definitely not have the impact that the actual disassembling of the Avengers had. In fact, $10 says that no one cares. I'm being mean right now, and I realize this, but let's face it - this series is pretty bad. It had one good issue, and that was the one where Hank Pym dealt with the death of his wife right after Secret Invasion. The artwork of this whole arc has been very intolerable, and the writing is pretty disjointed. I'll admit there are a few things that I do like about the result of this arc, and that is the Hood being given charge of the Initiative and the return of Penance, but here's the thing. For starters, this book contradicts continuity of other books. I mean, I don't know if Bendis is sitting down with all Dark Reign writers and explaining to them what's supposed to happen, but it's pretty annoying to read it. On top of that, we have yet ANOTHER book that states "Oh, we're so going to kill Norman Osborn!" Yeah? Really? Well, so is everyone else. And you know when that's happening? Not any time soon. Because I can guarantee you, not only are these heroes not going to kill Norman, it's not going to happen for at least a year, because we still have unannounced Dark Reign titles AND the introduction of "The List." So it feels like a huge waste. The Iniative is now going to be turned over to Norman, it's going to be based off of HAMMER, and no one's going to care.

I really try and not be as mean in my reviews as I am with this one (unless it's written by Jeph Loeb), but the Initiative always has and always bug me. You might ask, "Well, if you dislike it so much, why are you bothering to follow it?" The answer is because I'm a very sad little boy who needs to read all comics so he can be 100% up to date with continuity, even if it pains him. So I will continue reading the Initiative. I may not like it, but I'll do it. And I'll report on it as the days go by. Who knows, maybe before it all ends it'll get better. It's not likely, but it's possible. I'm an optimist.

Dark Reign: Zodiac #1
Zodiac is something I've been looking forward to for a while because I love the introduction of new villains. Zodiac doesn't disappoint either, which is great to see. So often we get promised these new villainous characters, and they don't end up being interesting at all. Zodiac, however, is introduced as both a maniacal and twisted yet very interesting and compelling villain to follow. The mystery of his identity and why he's doing what he's doing aside, the book opens with him having strung up 100 HAMMER soldiers and gutting each one with a non apparent Z. He then takes the blood off the groudn and draws a smiley face on his face. If that's not a great introduction to a brand new villain in the Dark Reign era of comics, I don't know what is! The issue then follows him as he creates problem not only for the villains and Norman Osborn, but the good guys as well when the Human Torch shows up to stop him near the end of the book. Zodiac makes for a great character because he is one of the few truly anarchistic monsters we have in comics lately. Sure, tons of villains want to destroy all of society, but they also want to rule it all as well, or perhaps just show that one hero that they're better than them. Zodiac, as far as we know, just wants to see the world burn at this point. We truly know nothing about him other than where and how he got his name and that he hates HAMMER. In a way, I actually would compare his introduction to Heath Ledger's Joker portrayal, in that he himself understands he is a villain and doesn't believe other super characters should govern his way of acting, and so he plans to take it all down in one convoluted plot featuring twist after perfectly placed twist. I understand that this is high praise and obviously sets up high expectations, but I really did enjoy this first issue, and I believe most people who enjoy it will enjoy it as well. If you haven't given it a shot yet, please run out and grab it. It's not disappointing if you like villains.

Dark Wolverine #75
As far as new storylines and title handovers go, this is pretty dull. I like Daniel Way a lot, but he's better than this. Let's recap what happens in this issue: Daken walks around. Daken annoys someone. Daken walks around some more. The Fantastic Four show up angry. Daken smiles. That's really about it. I know a lot of people aren't fans of Daken, but I'm not necessarily one of them. I think that he's an interesting addition to a great storyline (Origins). This, however, serves no real purpose other than to take Wolverine out of a title (and for the record, he's appeared in over 10 this week). It's a pretty disappointing start to the series, to say the least. I can't say I'm overly surprised because I really don't think the character has enough substance to make it on his own, but hey, I could be proven wrong at some point. That point just isn't now obviously.

Gotham City Sirens #1
Remember when I talked about what was coming out of the Battle for the Cowl, and I said that this is one of the books that I didn't think would be very good? Well guess what. I totally called it! Now, let me say that's not bad, per se. The writing by Dini is good. The artwork is ok too, if nothing special. And it makes for a read. The thing is, the leading characters just don't really work as leading characters. There is no real affection for these characters to be heroines, and I don't see any real purpose to the over all story. Even the twist at the end doesn't make for much intrigue. Since I'm going to assume most of you didn't read this, consider the rest of the review from here on out filled with spoilers: the end results with Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy agreeing to work together, but first Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy drug Catwoman to get the identity of Batman. Well, what's that going to do? Does no one else think that the whole moment is entirely pointless at this point? One, they're trying to be "heroes." Two, Bruce is dead anyway. It just seems like kind of a redundant moment. I'll be keeping up with this book because I know it intertwines with Streets of Gotham, and I liked that first issue a lot, but other than that I see no real reason to follow this story.

Skaar, Son Of Hulk #12
I had never read anything with Skaar before, but after reading these three issues of Planet Skaar, I gotta say, this is definitely a book I want to follow. First off, if Greg Pak can really write any character, it's a Hulk related character. Why Marvel let's Jeph Loeb write any Hulk title, I'll never understand. I always write off Skaar as kind of a two-bit character with no real point to him, but these three issues actually made me somewhat intrigued in his story. I will say that, ultimately, this "event" or whatever you want to call it was a definite disappointment. I mean, with just three issues we weren't given much. And while the whole point of it was to see Skaar beat up his father, we never even really got that. They had a brief "fight" moment, but it was fleeting and ultimately had no real point to it. Without having read any Skaar books previously, I would say the biggest moment of this whole saga was seeing Skaar abandoned on Earth and having a human child form. And while the end shapes itself up for it's own twist (even if it is a bit out of continuity assuming Mark Millar's work and Jonathan Hickman's future work is current canon), I'd say Skaar is definitely a book to watch. It's much better than any other Hulk related title of the moment, that's for sure.

Teen Titans #72
DC has promised us a big changing moment of the Teen Titans for a while now. While I thought that would occur in Deathtrap, I was clearly wrong. But now, we have the death of a Titan. Or so it seems, at least. I'd like to start off by saying that, all things considered, there's no real point to read Teen Titans. None of the characters are all that gripping, and this issue doesn't go to change it. What we have is a group of teenagers who fight crime with no real depth. Maybe I'm biased towards my love of the Young Avengers, but I find that Teen Titans is kind of a disappointment. On the one hand, I'm really curious to see who dies (besides obvious nods to who it might be). On the other hand, I ultimately don't really care. I enjoy the Titans, but I'm not overly hung up on these guys. I just read it because I read everything. So I can't, in good conscience, really recommend it to anyone. Teen Titans was definitely more entertaining a long time ago when Robin and Ravager were part of the gang and it first started. Now it seems that they're just sort of grasping for straws to make something interesting happen. On the plus side, though, the Galactus cameo is pretty hilarious.

On the other other hand, however, the Ravager back up in the back of the issue is good. I'm a fan of all the Wilson family (which is why I was drawn to Deathtrap in the first place), so have Ravager get her own mini-mini-series is entertaining to me. While nothing really happens, it definitely is good. The writing is well paced and the artwork really works. I'll be interested to see where it ends up, especially because it looks like some of the focus might be on Ravager's childhood. And who knows, after trying and failing to kill her father in the Faces of Evil "event," maybe dad will show up to teach her a lesson again? One can dream.

X-Men Forever #2
How can I accurately review this... let me think for a minute... how about I just jump up and scream "OH MY GOD THIS IS X-MEN THE WAY IT SHOULD BE OH MY GOD" for ten minutes straight before passing out on the floor due to lack of oxygen? Do you guys think that would be a passable review? If not, let me elaborate: I missed the first issue of this because I had no idea what it was and didn't want to grab another one-shot during a big week, but my comic book guy turned me on to this on Wednesday, and I can't believe I missed this now. What it is is the original continuation Chris Claremont had devised back in the 90's after finishing his historic run on X-Men. While the series clearly took it's own twists and turns as it goes, this is the X-Men Claremont wanted, and now this is the X-Men we get. And it is AMAZING. See, I grew up with the X-Men in the 90's, and it was a relatively small and simple cast and it lacked most of the complex story lines that today's X-Men books can have. It's down to the way it should be, the way Claremont has written it, and I feel like this is my reward for finally being a good boy, sucking it up, and sitting down with all the X books I've been avoiding for so long. As I've said, I find the modern X-Men stuff too cluttered with every little mutant possible, but after M-Day it became more bearable because we stripped down the cast to something close to how it had been. This is the X-Men I've always loved, and this is the single best X-Men book on the market right now, despite my praise for Uncanny. The best part is that Tom Grummet is clearly doing his best to imitate the 90's style of X-Men art, down to the last detail. It sells itself, practically. If you were a fan of the X-Men as a kid watching Fox Kids on Saturday mornings or something, this is the book you need to get. If you are a fan of X-Men before it all changed and we had secondary mutations and Professor X could not only walk but was also a huge dick, this is the book you need to get. If you are a fan of X-Men at all in any way shape or form, this is the book you need to get. I don't even know what else to say at this point.

Ms. Marvel #40
I like Karla Sofen. She is as dark as the rest of the Dark Avengers, but in a way she's also the only one who has been shown to have any real human emotions. Sure, she's manipulative, greedy, and by all accounts evil, but when we compare her solo book to the other Dark Avenger solo books (Sinister Spider-Man, Dark Wolverine, Hawkeye), she is definitely the most human, and all of her little MODOK babies prove this. It is through this that I actually end up really enjoying Dark Ms Marvel, which is something I didn't think I'd happen. And this week, she begins to pull in three A-List Marvel characters to act as a supporting cast for her first big story. A lot of people are wondering how exactly it works, so for those that just picked up the issue because of Deadpool, I'll lend a helping hand: in the previous issue, Sofen went and fought an AIM cell only to find all these little canisters of MODOK baby fetusi who called out to her to save them, and she felt the compassion enough to do so. Now, we have Deadpool coming in to steal them from her for Hydra, and Spider-Man and Wolverine coming in to either help her or stop her, as she is currently being attacked by a single colored alien being who has communication problems and an affinity for punching her out of a window. To be honest, it's really quite entertaining. I know people are timid about giving this a shot, but I think it's worth it. The artwork is really great and it doesn't spend the whole time focusing on the curvier parts of Ms Marvel. The writing works really well too because it shows how dark she can be but also brings light to the fact she doesn't really care for this gig other than the attention (and she hates her costume). While this is not a top book of the week or anything, I do frequently look forward to issues of Ms. Marvel, and I do recommend it.

Detective Comics #854
I had very very low expectations for this. Detective Comics was always my favorite Batman book, even when Morrison was writing for it. There's just something about Detective Comics that really appeals to me. When the reigns were taken from Paul Dini and the central character became Batwoman, I lost a lot of interest though. She's just not a character that I really care for. Rucka is a good writer, but I didn't see a book starring Batwoman holding my interest. However, although the first issue itself was better than I expected, what really made it was the artwork by J H Williams III. Oh my god, you've never seen artwork like this. (Well, maybe you have, but still.) It is by far the reason to pick up this book alone. The way that he draws panels and actions, it's easily one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. His choice of coloring and shading give the book such a dark and gritty noir look, and his brief rendition of Batman is the most menacing I've seen Dick Grayson be in his three previous appearances as Batman. Seriously - the artwork makes this book. The story itself is pretty meh over all. It's mainly something that would interest you if you had always been a fan of this Batwoman. I suppose it would also work if you were an overt fan of lesbian Jewish women. Batwoman does prove she is the darkest of all of the current Bat books, however. She's probably even darker than Damien, to be honest. But none of the story really matters to me when there is artwork like this.

As far as the back up Question story goes, I wasn't overly pleased. I really like the Question. I was a big fan of the first male Question, and I also really enjoy the second female Question. He's a cool detective character. What I don't like is that it seems a lot of comics want to go with some kind of down trodden latin story these days, and while I understand it's a reflection of the times, it's just over done. The Question can clearly do bigger things, as we saw in the phenomenal tie-in Revelations that Greg Rucka had previously written, and while I understand this is just a back up, I'd rather see something like that for her. She can be a big character, there's no reason not to throw some supes at her.

The Immortal Iron Fist #27
I believe the first thing I said after reading this is, "Wow, I can't believe that is the last Iron Fist book." To say I'm disappointed is pretty much to put it lightly. The reason for this is because when Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction were on the title, it was such a great story. I even recommended it as the first ever Friday Recommendation. Everything after that made the book fizzle out, though. What should have been an excellent story in the Eighth City (which was almost the title of this blog) ended up being an under written and very poor follow up to the twists and turns of the original story, which had totally revamped many things about Danny Rand. Now, not only does the Iron Fist not go out with a bang (although there is a pretty big explosion in this issue), but the Iron Fist goes out with a slow limp off into the sunset. Sure, he'll be back with a new writing and art team, and it's more than highly probable that it'll be better than this, but there was just so much wrong with the final issue. For starters, the artwork was all very atrocious. The book started with David Aja and ended with a group of cameo artists all of whom did their best to make Danny and his surroundings as ugly as possible. The writing was disjointed, using flashbacks of Danny's father to try and convey certain emotions that just never stuck. The portrayal of his father was also something I didn't like, because as much as his father may have been selfish, this kind of pushed it a bit too far for my taste. And now that Danny is a father, we're supposed to assume that there will be no good adventures for him to have alone for a while? I say to thee no. This book could have easily kept going, as there is plenty of set up for the future of Iron Fist. Instead, however, it just ends. This issue might have worked as a final issue for the current team as they pass the torch, but as a final issue? No thanks.

The Spirit #30
I have to say, this is the first Spirit book I've actually enjoyed in a long time. Michael Avon Deming took over all of the writing and drawing for this issue, and it harkened back to the days of Darwyn Cooke. The art was really clever and it worked for the Spirit in a way that I think most of the artwork hasn't worked in the book recently. People try and make the Spirit look too human or too meaty but he works best as the caricature that he really is. Deming's angle infused style of artwork work for a real visual treat to the character. As far as the writing goes, my biggest complaint is still the lack of a cohesive story, but unlike a lot of recent issues of the Spirit, this didn't feel like some crappy Scooby Doo knock off story. There was no missing dolphin or wiley villain in the shadows. Even if it was a stand alone story, it actually read very well. The story was smooth and you didn't spend five minutes reading a page of poor excuses for writing. So even though the Spirit is still on the chopping block from my pull list, this gave me a little bit more confidence. If you haven't been reading the Spirit, this works as an introduction to the character. I don't neccesarily recommend picking it up on a regular basis, but if you're curious, this issue is good.

Dark Reign: Lethal Legion #1
This is by no means a great book, but it is a good book. Here's what works about it: we have a cast of characters who aren't overly used but truly are villains. There are a couple of pages where we are shown the things they do, such as carve a giant LL into the Empire State Building, and we really get a feel for them. We are also shown more of how Norman thinks and treats people, tossing Tiger Shark out the window quite quickly into the story. On top of that, we are given a very interesting story perspective, because we already know how it ends. The story is being told to us by Tiger Shark to his lawyer in the Raft, from beginning to end. We also know bits and pieces that are clues to how things happened. It all ends for an interesting read. Here's what doesn't work: as I said before, the characters aren't overly used, so why should we care? I like Tiger Shark, but Hyde? Absorbing Man? These are a cast of B-sides who have tried to make an A-list, and if it weren't for good writing style, I'd see no reason to pay attention to this. I think a lot of Dark Reign has made the point to flesh out minor characters likes these guys, but in some areas I just fail to see the relevance. Also, I understand that everyone has a story to tell involving Osborn and this new world, but you reach a point where these tie-ins just don't do much for the grand scheme of things. They simply expand on a dark world we are already aware exists. With main books like New Avengers and Spider-Man, they end with the hero pledging to kill Norman Osborn. This obviously will tie in to the end of the story at some point, but Lethal Legion can't possibly do the same. The writing does ultimately save it though, and it does make for a good read.

Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink #2
This has probably been the best Final Crisis Aftermath so far. Run is no good because all the characters are awful, Escape makes less sense than Final Crisis did, and Dance is filled with "Ok, so what?" character. Ink gives us the Tattooed Man, desperately seeking redemption for his villainous past as well as trying to take care of his family. We follow him as he does his best to clean up the streets, and it works really well. The artwork isn't that great in my opinion, but it does give the sense of grit that this story needs. The writing pushes the story well along, glimpsing in the background a villain for us but also giving an impressive yet quiet rise to prominence as a hero. As a character driven piece, we are certainly given many reasons to care about the Tattooed Man because he really is earnest about cleaning up his past. While ultimately Final Crisis Aftermath doesn't really go to expand anything important, this is the one book that I feel really works as a mini-series with a central focus. The FCA tag doesn't even neccesarily need to be on this, but I understand why it is. Either way, it's not bad so far.

Superman #689
I've been pretty adamant about my distaste for most of the Superman books recently, but this one was nice. While in the last one nothing happened, in this one everything happens. All the things Mon-El had been talking about he then does. The story revolves around him traveling the world, teaming up with foreign heroes and seeing the sights. It's actually a really good story when all is said and done. As much as I have no personal attachment to Mon-El so far, he comes off as a character worth caring about here. His adventures across the globe show real character and make it more apparent what he really is - a young boy in a grown man's body. It's easy to forget he'd been stuck in the Phantom Zone forever, not being able to experience life like the rest of us. Now he has the ability to experience everything and anything he may want to, and it's kind of moving in a way. Reading about an alien's take on our planet makes it more apparent what we have to appreciate, minus all the super villains of course. While I still think that Superman without Superman is kind of pointless, this does make for a nice story.

Dark Reign: The Sinister Spider-Man #1
Meh. That's the best word I have for this. I am all around unimpressed. I think it should be known that even if I don't want to be, I might be kind of biased against the book because I don't like Mac Gargan and I hate his Venom. Part of me will never forgive Mark Millar for that, but so be it. The writing of this is still pretty awful though, and inconsistent. As far as Gargan goes, we know that he has not only been secluded to Avengers tower, but he's also the biggest push over of the team. So where did he get all this confidence? Furthermore, the artwork of this book is horrible. Terribly inconsistent. In one panel, I noticed that his eyes weren't even properly aligned, and I imagine his eyes are probably the simplest things to draw. All in all, this book just comes off as unneccesary and a waste. I really have nothing nice to say about it.

DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD!




Now today, I was reading my tweets on the twitbooks, and our benevolent overlord, Matt, posted a rather alarming tweet. Pete "Mr. Simpson" Wentz is creating his very own, Fall Out Boy inspired, comic book.

I about died laughing.

Well, giving him the benefit of the doubt, I read the plot. It seems to be a strange sci-fi retelling of the Greek myth Pygmalion. Read your myths, kthx. The story seems to go as follows:

"FALL OUT TOY WORKS, inspired by the ideas and lyrics of Fall Out Boy, tells the story of a brilliant young robot maker who risks his entire company for his factory's newly produced android named Tiffany as she becomes his greatest passion and potentially his own destruction. FALL OUT TOY WORKS teams Wentz with Darren Romanelli AKA Dr. Romanelli "DRx", the ground breaking designer behind the reinterpretations of Nike, Looney Tunes and Black Sabbath, and writer Brett Lewis, the acclaimed creator of BULLETPROOF MONK and The Wintermen. Art chores will be handled by Sam Basri of Imaginary Friends Studios, the art studio behind the art for Radical's Hercules: The Thracian Wars, Caliber: First Canon of Justice and Steve Nile's City of Dust."

Admittedly, the artwork is something that draws me in, and if anyone has read Radical's line of books, the art is always superb. So while the story may be...mediocre at best, the art will be pretty. That makes it worth it, right? RIGHT?

I guess not. Oh well. But while I'm currently thinking it's hokey, I'll give the first issue a shot because it will be pretty as all get it.

SOURCE

So I haven't been around in a while. Many things caused this, but that's neither here nor there. So I apologize. But let's not dwell. Onwards!

Something you may not know about me (or hell maybe you do, and don't care. Whatever.) is that Psylocke is my favorite X-Man. She was always the most interesting in my eyes(true story, my dream Avengers team would consist of Psylocke and Darkhawk). When I was a kid, most of my friends loved Wolverine, but I preferred Betsy Braddock here because she had everything Logan had, but also had a gracefulness he lacked, and an attitude that was far more mysterious. Not many agreed with me back in those days. But I was young. Whatever.

One thing that she always had in spades though. Her history is probably more convoluted than any other X-Man I or anyone else can think of. She was a supporting character in the Marvel UK series Captain Britain(she and Brian "Captain Britain" Braddock being twins and all), briefly carried the mantle, was brainwashed, was resurrected in someone else's body, watched the person with whom she switched bodies die of The Legacy Virus, had her personality wiped by The Crimson Dawn, loses telepathy, gains telek--you know what? Read her wikipedia page one day. Your head will spin for hours.

Anyway, this mini-series(which, if you hadn't guessed, I'm now really excited for) is a direct follow-up to the recent events in Uncanny X-Men, titled "Sisterhood." Which I was already reading instead of X-Men: Legacy, because...I don't like Professor X when he's a dick. But now I really can't wait to see this book kick major butt.

Like I said, it's a sequel to the recent Uncanny Arc, and it has a heavy premise. She's finally getting to put her body to rest(the one she was born with, see how this gets confusing?) in Japan, and it gets complicated. Like always.

Admittedly, it sounds kind of hokey. Didn't she already bury her body? Why in Japan? she's English! But if there's one thing Christopher Yost can do, it's tell a great story. He's been one of the best X-Writers in recent memory, and who better to tell the story of one of the engaging(if not maddening) X-Characters in recent memory ;)

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By now, everyone knows that all the rumors about Reborn are true: Steve Rogers is coming back. We don't know how yet, or in what capacity, but just as many heroes consistently rise from the grave, so will the true Captain America. But how did we get to this point? Who was the man that dared put a gun at Cap's head and pull the trigger? That man is Ed Brubaker, and he reinvigorated Captain America in a way I would have never thought possible. So before you go pick up the mini-series Reborn, you should definitely go and read all of the previous 50 issues of Captain America first.

Everyone knows by now that Captain America died. What most people don't know is how we got to that point, or what it truly meant. Starting with Captain America #1, Ed Brubaker began spinning an extensive plot involving the Red Skull, Cap's old partner Bucky (now returned as the murderous and insane Winter Soldier), Arnim Zola, the Red Skull's daughter Sin, Crossbones, Doctor Faustus, and Sharon Carter, all resulting in the death of Cap and his replacement by Bucky. The thing that truly makes it great is the absolute intricacy of it all. When you read it as one big piece, you are treated with one of the most cleverly crafted stories in all of the Marvel U. There are plenty of elements in the very first issue that quietly foreshadow what was to come, and by the end of "The Man Who Bought America," you're treated to an absolutely dynamite finale that wraps up everything quite wonderfully for Bucky to take over and move forward (or so we thought until now). The artwork is done from front to back by Steve Epting, who does a phenomenal job at making Cap's world dark and scary to fit the tone of the conspiracy story. It is arguably the best team run in all of Marvel right now. A lot of people complain about the state of it, and don't like that Bucky has a) returned or b) is the new Cap, and they bring up ridiculous arguments like how he uses a gun, but these people obviously haven't been keeping up with the whole story.

And now we have Reborn, an easy challenger for top event this summer against DC's Blackest Night. First off, we have Bryan Hitch as the artist instead of Steve Epting, and as much as I love Epting, I love Hitch even more. Those who have seen his most recent work on Fantastic Four know he can draw an insanely great and lush scene, and those who have read Ultimates 1 and 2 will be sure to remember the giant fold out in the last issue of Ultimates 2 that defined epic-ness in comic books. He also draws one of the best Captain America's I've ever seen (pictured), so to put him in charge of the book is pure genious in my mind. Plus, I have absolutely adored all of the conspiracy elements of the story so far. Granted, I somewhat bashed issue #600 of Captain America, but that's simply because it was just a large scale tease, not offering anything new and being just a lead in to Reborn. I'm a fan of teasing sometimes, but when you pay $4.99 for a book that keeps spouting the beginning of the return of Steve Rogers, you want a little more bang for your buck. Either way, Captain America is by far one of the my favorite books on the market, and it definitely made Ed Brubaker number one in my mind as a comic book writer. He easily showed his mastery of the book and the story, and I defy you to sit there from issue 1 all the way up to now and not enjoy the thrill ride presented. I defy you!

Click on the image to the left to start catching up with Captain America, and now is definitely time to pick it up. Reborn doesn't come out until July 1st, so catch up in the next two weeks for the big Marvel event of the summer. It's sure to sell out like crazy, and you don't want to be the only one on the school bus who doesn't know what's going on.

Every Wednesday to geeks like me across the country is the best day of the week. Being able to go through a long day of school or work and then coming home to read adventures of your favorite heroes and villains is a reward in and of itself. It only makes sense that every Thursday, then, we have a weekly article talking about what we've read that week. While I can't speak for the other writers of this site, I, your humble host, will most definitely be writing every Thursday my impressions of the books I've been reading.

For the record, I usually spend about $30-$60 on comics a week, so forgive me if I am a little slow. I promise I will always deliver, though. I'll just have to do it in small bits and pieces and write as I read. So without further ado,

Captain America #600
Talk about a hype behind an issue. It was ridiculous! You couldn't turn anywhere without reading Captain America this, or Captain America that. And when it all comes down to it, was the issue as good as everyone in the media was leading us to believe? Well... not really. Let's face it, this all was just a huge prelude for Captain America: Reborn, which comes out July 1st with Bryan Hitch taking over artistic duties. This big story that we've been building up for so long now with Red Skull and his plot to take out Captain America is moving out of the Cap book, and the Cap book is going to be left to shambles because of it. Don't get me wrong, I think Brubaker is a great writer. I am HIGHLY anticipating the return of Steve Rogers to the Marvel U due to whatever this deus ex machina item really is, but the main book will suffer with the huge plot being outsourced like this. On top of that, the extra stories (even the one by my personal favorite Mark Waid) are pretty lack luster. It seems for a while now we've been stuck in this stagnant "remember Steve Rogers" mode in the book. I loved Cap for it's intriguing thriller aspects and it would appear that all of those are back, except this book acts as a huge a) publicity stunt and b) tease. Through out the whole thing we see bits of characters who have played large parts in this book and how they're reacting a year after Steve's death. All of this leads to the highly anticipated Reborn book, and I'm thankful to have Steve back in the Marvel U. I just wish that we could do without the filler in between the awesome stuff.

Wolverine: Origins #37
Daniel Way had a difficult task ahead of him when he started Origins. Not only did he have to pick up the pieces left after Loeb's crazy and thankfully short run on Wolverine, but he had to figure out what to do with Bendis' Universe altering actions. So far, he's been doing a really good job of that within this book, and all of it leads us to this issue: Romulus. Romulus had been revealed as the one manipulating Wolverine for centuries, and Wolvie not only wants answers but also some payback. We are slowly but surely pushing towards some truth now, and I couldn't be happier. One of the things I've always liked about Wolverine: Origins is it took classic Wolverine villains and used them on the center stage, as opposed to what other Wolverine books do with modern day villains. People like Cyber and Omega Red were always favorites to me, and this one brings back not only plot lines left unanswered from earlier in the series but also Omega Red in all his great and evil Russian glory. I think this is my favorite thing about Daniel Way - his appreciation for the classic stuff. So while I'm not a huge fan of the new art direction (although it does make Wolverine look much more brutish), I'm looking forward to the resolution of this arc, I'm more than thankful to have yet another smash up between Omega Red and Wolverine, this time absolutely one on one with no holds barred. It's looking to be a good one.

Ultimatum - Spider-Man: Requiem #1
So Jeph Loeb decided to kill Spider-Man. Like, for real. Who does that?! Seriously though. I think the thing about Ultimatum is that, while ultimately it's terrible, it's doing a good job of wiping the slate clean. Bendis is so wrapped up in the normal Marvel U that he gave Ultimate Spider-Man, the book that arguably helped launch his career, much less attention. He forgot about his previous plot lines and let things get messy and hazy so that, by the end of it, Spider-Man was full of fail. Being allowed to re-start the Ultimate Spidey franchise is like a second chance he so earnestly deserves, because we all know his love for the character and the series. The thing that kills me is that despite this, he still manages to write in continuity errors. The big one I'm referring to is the guest appearance of Iron Man in the wrong suit. It was one thing when Jeph Loeb completely ignored the change of Thor's hammer in Ultimates 3. It's a, for all intents and purposes, minute detail. But a whole costume screw up? Come on now. While I love the return of Bagley as the artist and the introduction of Hydra into the Ultimate world (a group that Bendis is clearly in love with lately), this is just something that really bugs me. I feel like this could have been easily avoided by, oh I dunno, looking at any poster for Ultimates? I have one! I'm sure the Marvel offices and other areas he works has one too. It's a good start of a finale, though. I'm interested to see where the second half will lead, and I'm greatly looking forward to the new Spider-Man series. I suppose I can forgive these little discretion's for now, but I hope that Bendis puts more thought into the new Ultimate Comics Spider-Man book. I'm tired of all the plot mix ups.

The Punisher #6
Rick Remender's a new guy on the block over at Marvel, and putting the Punisher in his hands was a very smart move. The Punisher versus the Hood has got to be one of the most entertaining arcs in the Dark Reign world. It's pretty much a perfect match up, too. The Hood is the new Kingpin of crime, and the Punisher hates crime, and while Frank isn't going after him directly, I love that the the Hood has a center spotlight as the villain, as opposed to how it seemed in the first few issues that there would be a new bad guy for the Punisher every time. Add on top of that the Hood's latest and greatest insidious plan to take down Frank and you've got all the right ingredients for a really explosive finale to come. The Punisher is a character I think a lot of people overlook due to the very basic nature of his character in that he is just a guy with guns who punishes the wicked. There is, in theory, nothing special to him. But Rick Remender does an amazing job of re-inventing the creativity behind the character, and this book couldn't come any more highly recommended as a jump point for the character.

Granted, the best Punisher stuff you can ever read and will ever read is the extensive work of Garth Ennis, but still.

The Mighty Avengers #26
Well that was fast! No sooner than the Fantastic Four arc began did it end. I gotta say, I really love the Mighty Avengers. I think the new team is a great collection of characters and it's an amazingly fun read (Valerie defeating Cho with an EPIC FAIL stunned me). The past issues have all essentially been build up, though. At first we had to assemble the team, and now we have to establish for them a base. I don't really have a problem with this, but I just know where the series is ultimately heading (a showdown with Loki, for starters) and I'm really anxious to see it. Plus, all of the teasing that this issue gives about the new base has me on the edge of my seat! I should have prefaced any discussion on an Avengers property with the fact that the Avengers are my all-time favorite team, and while I miss the trinity of Cap, Thor, and Iron Man, I do enjoy the formations of new teams in their wake (and who knows? Maybe the ultimate goal of Dark Reign is to fix this?). I just wish the story moved more quickly to this final goal. I'm a very impatient person. I think that the Mighty Avengers, as a whole, is a very well written book though. A lot is crammed into this one issue and it shows Slott's talents. He's done amazing with this run so far. The twists, the jokes, the revelations... all of it. And while I agree with David about the art, it doesn't bother me as much. The Mighty Avengers is definitely a book to watch, though.

The Man With No Name #11
And so we have the "finale" of the Man With No Name. It seems so soon, but the series is moving on from The Good, The Bad, and the Uglier to a straight up recreation of Sergio Leone's film The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (backwards, I know). Considering this is the end, I can't help but be disappointed. I really enjoyed the character in the books and felt that there were still many more stories to tell. Granted, we've had two arcs, and while the first was great the second was meh over all, but that doesn't mean there is no redemption for the book. We have no really great and original cowboy characters out there aside from Jonah Hex, and does he totally count as a classic western character? Yeah, I don't think so either. I guess Dynamite decided that this wasn't that profitable of a book and decided to switch it out for something more recognizable, which is fair on their part but disappointing for those of us who were big fans of it. So we didn't go out with as much of a bang as I would've hoped, and I'm going to stay away from the comic interpretation of the movie because, let's face it, if you've seen the movie you don't need to read the comic. But I'll miss the Man with No Name. It was a fun 11 issues for me. While this might not be most graceful ride off into the sunset, at least the character will still exist in some capacity.

The Invincible Iron Man #14
Matt Fraction's Iron Man seems like an attempt to redeem Tony Stark for the well deserved hate from the public he's garnered thanks to Civil War. It also seems like the easiest way to represent Jon Favreau's Tony Stark in comic book form. I am very fearful for this book, though. I think that, of all the status quo changes that have come of recently, this one is a little bit too much. I mean, Tony Stark is deleting his brain. What's up with that? While Fraction's writing is great, this plot is a big crazy. I adore the reappearance of Crimson Dynamo and his interaction with Norman Osborn, but I'm not sure where Fraction is planning to go with this. While Dark Reign obviously won't be forever, is this really somehow the end of the Tony Stark we know and love? I miss the confident Tony Stark whose main problem was a bottle of alcohol and a few super powered villains operating off stolen Stark tech. I can see that Fraction is putting people in place for a finale, but I just can't tell what that outcome is going to be really. I feel that the way Fraction chooses to conclude this arc will either make or break the series for me because it's going to be a love it or hate it situation. The best part about this book is definitely the artwork, though. It's absolutely gorgeous to look at. I might just be partial to this particular work, but I really can't get enough of it. When the whole arc is said and done, it's going to be wonderful to look at it page by page in a store while admiring the trade. I'm dead serious, though - wherever Fraction is leading us to, it's a huge change, and it could very well make me lose interest in the adventures of Tony Stark. Especially without that luxurious hair and goatee!

Incognito #4
The second Ed Brubaker book of the week, Incognito continues to be a treat. One of my favorite things about it is that even though we have a group of characters we've never met before, Brubaker doesn't take the time to flesh out every little character history. Rather, bits and pieces of the events are presented through dialogue. It's an excellent story telling technique on his part. The artwork never ceases to entertain either. Very pulp, and very comic. This is the only issue that, as far as story is concerned, lulled a bit along in my mind. In this issue, we face the consequences of the fight from the previous one and only one really new bit of information is ascertained at the very end in a nice little twist. These characters are dark and unforgiving, but I wouldn't have them any other way, and this story is shaping up nicely. While I don't think this is Brubaker's best original work, at least in comparison to the stuff he has done in Sleeper and Criminal, it's definitely a great read, and it comes highly recommended from yours truly. It might be a little late to hop on the Incognito bandwagon, but still. I think that, by the end of it, it'll be a very satisfying story. Like I said, this issue lulled a bit, but it's clearly all build up for an ending with this amazing villain he has created for the story. I'm psyched.

Jack Of Fables #35
It took 7 issues, but as I said before, the Great Fables Crossover is finally getting good. This issue was great and featured the final showdown with the Genres. The book does a great job of conveying it's story while maintaining a mostly comic frontage. While I still prefer the Fables book to this one, I'm taking a bit more of a shine towards it's writing style (only took 35 issues!). I think my main complaint still, though, is that in the grand scheme very little happens. We're relying on one more issue to wrap everything up, and that includes a big and epic showdown between the Fables and Kevin Thorn as this is something we still have not reached. I worry that leaving everything to one final book rather than including a showdown in the penultimate that results in an epic cliffhanger for the finale makes the ending rushed. And let's face it, they've had plenty of time to insert this in. There was so much in the crossover that we could have done without, or at least saved for another time. Especially the stuff with Jack and the farm animals. I know I can't be the only one to think that! So while the Crossover is ultimately a disappointment, this ending is shaping up nicely, and it does leave me anticipating the rather explosive end that is sure to come out of it. Either that, or the ending will simply be Deus Ex Machina, as implied in this issue. We'll see.

Either way, I hope that after this Fables returns to it's normally scheduled programming with some more Mr. Dark. Enough Literal stuff. It feels like they're taking a great concept and trying to explain it too much. The Literals are a cool concept in theory, but they're highly unnecessary. Fables exist because we tell their stories. That was all we ever needed to know.

Dark Reign: Hawkeye #3
After Warren Ellis' amazing run on Thunderbolts, Andy Diggle came in post-SI to wrap things up and make way for a new era of Thunderbolts. It was a good call to throw him on the reigns for the Hawkeye book, in my opinion, because he is clearly good at writing solid evil characters who are put in a "heroes" position. Furthermore, here we have one of the most evil characters in the Marvel U because Bullseye never had any remorse for his actions. Last issue I remarked that this was heading in a weird direction, and truth be told it greatly is. The series, which I had presumed originally to be Bullseye vs. Clint Barton, is really just Bullseye vs Bullseye. It makes for an interesting conundrum when you have the world's deadliest assassin routinely fighting himself through out the issue. The best part of the issue is when Bullseye talks to Moonstone about his splintering psyche and compares it to Norman Osborn. It's an interesting turn of events from how the book originally started, which was just Bullseye taking out some extra aggression on sinners and saints alike. It also helps to further drive the question, "What happens when you put a villain in a heroes mask?", and that's the whole point of Dark Reign. We have a world run in the shadows by villains, and how could anyone think this was a good idea at all? So congrats to Diggle for making a compelling read on the subject. So far, in comparison, Dark Avengers has simply showed us how the new "heroes" act in heroic deeds but they haven't really tried to get down to the real drama of it all. That's precisely why we have books like this and writers like Andy Diggle to help flesh it out for us.

Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #4
Dark Reign FF acts as a segue between Mark Millar's Fantastic Four run and the upcoming run by Jonathan Hickman, and it is shaping up to be awesome. The book has been a little bit esoteric so far, but considering that three out of the four have been trapped in a trans-dimensional bridge, it's to be expected. This issue makes it much more clear what the plot behind that really was and what was actually happening. On top of that, Mr. Fantastic brings us to the horribly depressing fact that, no matter what, the Dark Reign was inevitable. It's an intriguing thought and it makes me wonder where Hickman is going to go when he takes over Fantastic Four in a couple issues at #570. I know that the arc is called "Solve Everything" and it features Reeds attempt to bring the Marvel U back to it's normal SHIELD-run days where Nick Fury was on top of the world (and I can't wait for that day to come). The artwork by Sean Chen is also top notch. There are very few books that I go out of my way to mention the artwork for, but this is definitely one of them. It makes me kind of sad that Chen won't be the main artist for Fantastic Four when the writer title switches over. While a lot of the Dark Reign stuff has been hit or miss, Dark Reign Fantastic Four has been all hit in my opinion. Jonathan Hickman truly is a writer to watch as he makes his way throughout the Marvel Universe. Mark Millar made me care about who the Fantastic Four were with his crazy and intense run, but it's Jonathan Hickman who really makes me want to read it as a serious book.

Batman: Streets of Gotham #1
Here is the fourth entry into our new era of Batman, and this is arguably the second best. I think that, for starters, I never should have doubted wether or not I wanted to read it. For those that loved Dini's run on Detective Comics, this is definitely the book to continue reading. It picks up right where the Heart of Hush arc and follow up story leave off. Hush is actually one of the main characters in the book (which is reason to pick it up alone) and through a very interesting scene featuring him and Damien, I can't help but be reminded of the I Am Batman poster and it's looming foreshadow. On top of that, Dini is still partnered up with the same artist from that run, and I always loved Dustin Nguyen's art. It works very well. What I think is really great about the story, though, is that while we have the growth of the new Batman and Robin in Morisson's book, this book shows us the new dynamic duo from a street level perspective, as we have main interactions with Commissioner Gordon and others. I will go on record as stating that I believe this book to be better than the actual Batman title with Judd Winnick, and I would recommend that if you want to follow the new Batman world, stick with this book and Morrison's book, because these two are really all you need: two great writers with great history on Batman books still telling great stories. What more could you ask for?

Cable #15
This is the penultimate issue of Messiah War, and I gotta say, it's a good one. I'm not a fan of the Cable books and I should state that right off the bat. As far as this story goes, most of the Cable books haven't hit the mark for me. And while Messiah War clearly will not be as good or concept shattering as Messiah CompleX, it's definitely ending on a high note. This issue does what Fables should have done, and that is feature a "final battle" that leads up to a cliffhanger for an explosive ending. While Deadpool has been a definite highlight of the whole story, this issue alone features a pretty amazing action by him which I won't spoil, but it definitely had me laughing. On top of that, all the characters are now in place for where they need to be for the ending, including the official return of one of the most maniacal and badass mutants of all time. While X-Force and Christopher Yost have definitely been carrying this book along on it's mighty back, it's nice to see Cable step up to bat and actually hit one out of the park finally. I'm really looking forward to seeing this all wrap up, despite a solicit accidentally ruining what happens in the end. I also haven't really enjoyed Ariel Olivetti artwork so far, because compared to Clayton Crain it just looks messy and blurry, but this week's issue was really on the ball. The artwork was much more clear and it looks like Olivetti took more time with it, and the end result is great. So it's nice to see a good issue of Cable in this crossover finally. I can only hope that post-Messiah War it manages to somehow stay this good.

Dark Reign: Mister Negative #1
Mr. Negative was part of the new Spider-Man world created in One More Day/Brand New Day, and he's always been a meh character to me. I've never found anything about him particularly enthralling or exciting, and the "revelation" that he was Martin Li didn't come as a really big reveal to me as it was what I had assumed due to the physical similarities. Mr. Negative's Dark Reign book focuses on him vs the Hood, though, so it obviously catches my initial interest as I love the Hood. The Hood wants control of China Town, and Mr. Negative rejects and deflects all advancement he makes. The Hood then retaliates by sending in a whole mess of C-List super villains to destroy China Town and take it by force. As far as Dark Reign goes, the only thing this really adds to the saga is showing the Hood's range of power as well as how HAMMER acts versus SHIELD. In this, HAMMER quarantines off China Town so that the villains can feel free to destroy it, spouting off that this is a routine training exercise. All in all this issue didn't really do much for me, though. We learned a little bit about Mr. Negative's past, and the ending had a pretty interesting twist featuring a guest apperance by a character too obvious not to include. This is definitely a skippable book in the whole Dark Reign world, though.

Air #10
Air is a good book, but I've always feared that it just wasn't sure what direction it wanted to head in. I feel like there is a point to it all and there is a definitive goal, but G. Willow Wilson isn't entirely sure how to get there yet. This issue brings us a bit more on focus and shows us the origin of the mysterious device that most of the action in the past 10 issues has managed to inadvertently center around. It kind of reminds me of the last episode of LOST, the finale to season 5, in which we see a big chunk of the past which helps bring the future into light. I like that a lot, and I feel that compared to the last issue, which was decidedly subpar, this is a big step back in the correct direction the series needs to head in order to become a classic. There is no doubt in my mind that Air is destined for bigger things. The last full arc with Amelia Airheart was awesome and really drew me into the story. After that, though, it began losing me again, and this is unfortunately the very essence of Air: it's more miss than hit, but when it hits, it hits hard. This issue makes me anticipate the next again, and I'm very happy about that. I'd really love to see this book succeed in the end.

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #2
When the Super young Team appeared in Final Crisis, I bet most people, like myself, said "Who?" and "Why?" Well, I still can't say I'm a fan of the characters at all, but this book is actually fairly entertaining in it's concept. The basic premise of this issue (and series) is this: we have a team that wants to be famous for being heroes, but doesn't know how because no one cares about them. This is why they get a manager to take charge of this for them and propel them into the spotlight. What ends up happening is a reality show and product endorsements, and while the team is somewhat against this, it leads to their first real villain battle (even if it isn't publisized). I think that, though this book is somewhat of a waste, it does bring up some intriguing ideas. In today's real world, where everyone (including me) Twitters and updates their websites on a non-stop basis to be in contact with the whole world all day every day, what would a super hero do? Wouldn't an average kid looking to be famous as a crime fighter opt for product endorsements and a reality show? Part of it ties in with the book I just reviewed, Ultra, where the heroes are all professionally managed and do product endorsements frequently as well as other aspects of celebrity life. The book doesn't touch on it all that much other than the fact the endorsement turns out to be an evil plot, but regardless. The whole of Final Crisis Aftermath has been very skippable, and Dance is no different. This issue did go for a better read than Run and made more sense than Escape, though.

Supergirl #42
In this wrap up to the Superwoman arc, Sterling Gates shows how to properly do an epilogue. Wrapping up all loose ends and setting up the future, Gates shows why Supergirl is the best Superman book on the market in the World Without Superman section of the New Krypton arc. This is something I never thought I'd say, but I love the Supergirl book. This whole arc has been absolute dynamite compared to what it has gone up against with Superman and Action Comics. This ending is both satisfying and it feels very rewarding to the mysterious tale of Superwoman. I feel like, as the book continues in to the future, it'll maintain this high without a doubt. And with the next Superbook crossover looming in the distance, it's pretty clear that this one will definitely be one of my favorites in the story.

War Machine #7
I really wish I liked this more, but I'm afraid I don't. I have huge respect for Greg Pak as a writer as he is definitely writing some comics that I highly enjoy, i.e. Incredible Hercules, but War Machine just drags on for me. This issue is a bit better than the book has tended to be in the past couple months, but it doesn't do anything to me to make me really want to keep it on my pull list anymore. I find that I read it only because I started to read it in the first place. The new artwork doesn't do anything for me, as well as the whole Ultimo storyline. I miss the old character of Rhodes as opposed to this jaded and angry one who is looking to run around and destroy things in Norman Osborn's world. I think I'm in a minority as I say this too, because as far as I can see everyone else in the world is enjoying the book. There's just a huge difference in feeling when I read this and I read some of Pak's other work. It lacks the charm and charisma his characters bring, and I suppose that's because Rhodes is not an egotistical character. I definitely feel at a loss when I read this book, though. I don't see myself following it much longer if the storyline keeps down this same road. There just isn't much for me there.

War Of Kings: Ascension #3
Poor Darkhawk. It just doesn't get easier for him. Not only is he a D-List character, but now his suit has been stripped from him and he is trapped in an alternate dimension. Or is he? War Of Kings has done a great job of not only creating intriguing tie-ins that actually tie-in, but also reinvigorating certain characters with life. Darkhawk is definitely one of those characters. As far as this tie-in goes, it seems to be doing an excellent job of placing Darkhawk in to where he appeared in the actual storyline of War of Kings recently. It also adds an interesting twist to one of the events that we had previously not realized he was involved in. Ascension also gives us the first sympathetic Skrull character to be seen in years, if there ever was one to begin with. I feel like, following War Of Kings, Darkhawk could return to the Marvel U as a much bigger character than he is now. Not a major character, but definitely someone who matters a bit more in the galactic parts of Marvel. War of Kings: Darkhawk and Ascension has done a good job of reinvigorating the character into someone relatable and mildly important, and I think that's admirable of a tie-in, aside from the fact that it really does act as a legitimate tie-in for the story.

X-Men Origins: Gambit
I'm not a huge Mike Carey fan, so I usually approach his stuff with mild caution. Granted, I love Unwritten, but stuff he's done with other people's characters? Not a huge fan. This short spotlight on Gambit doesn't really offer anything quite fulfilling to be quite honest. We see three spots of Gambits life: early life in New Orelans as a member of the Guild of Thieves, time as a Marauder, and a brief finale. But it's nothing really new. We see that Gambit is a character who looks to be redeemed for his sins, but in the book, what sin does he really committ? He falls in love, he gets help for his powers, and then he attempts to save a womans life. I mean, granted, the whole Morlock thing is obviously not a plus on his "Reasons to go to Heaven" list, but still. The character is portrayed overly broody and restless for no real reason. I don't find anything about Gambit appealing really, but I know that many people have a soft spot for the Cajun. This book won't quite do anything for them, I'm afraid. One thing about the book I think I should mention in a positive light is that the artwork is really great. Looking at the panels, I found they were a real treat for the eyes. I just wish that the story matched up to the quality of the art in the end.

Action Comics Annual #12
Finally, an issue of Action Comics that I enjoy since the departure of Geoff Johns! This issue tells the anticipated origin of Nightwing and Flamebird, as it were, and I thought it was much more entertaining than the book itself has been so far. As far as an annual goes, this was the perfect time to throw thw story out there. It makes the characters much more compelling. We had already loved Chris for a while due to his involvement in the Last Son arc, but we never felt much for his lady friend. Or, at least, I didn't, because I never read Supergirl until now. Now I feel there is something a bit more compelling about the character to make me want to care about her, and it makes there positions as Nightwing and Flamebird from ancient Kryptonian lore much more interesting. As far as Annuals go, it's definitely a good one, worthwhile to pick up and read. I feel that, for the most part, Action Comics as been stale lately, but perhaps a re-read of the recent arc with all of the revelations brought about in this issue could perhaps make it a bit more compelling. That's up for debate, though, because my main problem with the story is it's lack of focus. I gotta give props to this issue, though. Very nicely done.


All New Savage She-Hulk #3
This book keeps getting more and more silly as it progresses. Obviously this isn't a highly anticipated title in my book but rather something I'm reading just for completionists sake. I want to know what goes on with all the Dark Reign tie-ins (except for Agents of Atlas). Does this really add something to it all though? Well, yes and no. I'll do the yes first: for one, we have a possible future that results in Norman Osborn's reign. From visions of the future that come through flashbacks we see what has happened and how the men and women are divided, and furthermore how factions of the men take off of Norman's Avengers. On the no part, it's only a possible future, one of many (as is the case with time travel in the Marvel universe). So in reality, all this might be for nothing. And in the big scheme of things, when the next big event book happens to put Norman and his Avenegers dead center against everyone in the Marvel U who wants Nick Fury back, somehow I don't think that this She-Hulk is going to matter at all. In fact, I know. All that's going to come from this story is a goofball little side story about Norman and how he's the most powerful man right now. Nothing more, nothing less. So should you skip this? Most definitely. Unless you have a thing for green women, of course. Then go ahead and read it.

Herogasm #2
I had my doubts that anything that comes from this story will actually impact the Boys in anyway. I figured it would be just a fun little excuse for the artists to draw naked super hero boobs. I was wrong though. In this issue, the plot begins to take more of a center stage. Previously, we had only glimpses of what the Boys would have to do with this, but by the end of this issue there is no question what is supposed to go down. Don't get me wrong, this issue is still filled with enough decadent sex and drugs to make it extremely not safe to read at your office, but still. It seems like this is going to have a bigger impact on the plot of the Boys than I could have imagined. The thing is, I can think of about a million ways to avoid any real connection despite the ending of this book. There are still plenty of escape loop holes Ennis can write in to leave this as sort of a stand alone event that happens in the time line, and it clearly happens before what took place in the last issue of the Boys (as any regular reader of the series will undoubtedly recognize). Despite that, I still have to admit that I don't particularly care for any of it. I mean, I enjoy the boys, but I don't find the over-sexing of it all that entertaining. I like the Boys when they fight supes, it's much mor entertaining. This to me is just filler. It is, however, neccesarry to the climate of the world depicted in the Boys, so it's kind of required reading to get the whole story regardless. And it's not terrible! It's still definitely Ennis, and Ennis is good. I just wish the Boys could move away from all the sex and stay with one of the more entertaining plots in it.

Dark Reign: Young Avengers #2
I gotta say, Young Avengers is surprisingly great. I didn't expect anything from it but I've ended up enjoying this a lot. In this issue we learn more about the formation of the new Young Avengers (the Dark Young Avengers? The Young Dark Avengers?) and how it ties in to Norman Osborn. There is one particularly entertaining scene where one of the new Young Avengers, Coat of Arms, meets with Norman and shows him a triptych of her artwork of him. Seriously, though, this has ended up highly entertaining. While I praised the first book to asking high depth super hero questions, the second book follows up with a similar question: what's in a name? While the real Young Avengers see on TV the announcement of the new team, they begin to get upset until one of them asks, "Well, how do you think the Avengers felt when we stole their name?" This is a big part of what Dark Reign is. Norman came in and stole all that was good and made it his own. HIS Avengers. Soon, HIS X-Men. And he moves further into trying to take over other big times, like the Fantastic Four. Dark Reign Young Avengers, while surprisingly ignored, ends up being one of the better of the tie-ins in all of this mess, right up near the top of my list with Fantastic Four and the Hood.

Fantastic Force #3
I gotta say, Fantastic Force would be a whole lot better if they didn't spoil every ending on the cover of the book. I'm not saying that it would be worthy of it's own series instead of a mini, but COME ON. They're taking away any sense of shock that was ever possible! It's a slow moving book involving characters we don't know that well and a screwed up time stream. Do they have to give everything away ASAP? While this issue gives explanations to many of the oddities that have been occuring in this series, it's not really helping. These characters and this world just doesn't work as well out of context. That and the fact that, when not drawn by Hitch, the characters definitely lose a little something. Not only that, but the big reveal at the end is a big "who cares?" I hate to be mean when reviewing a book, but I feel like someone just really had the misguided idea to continue to tell the story of the Fantastic Force and Marvel denied them the allowance to use most of the good characters. Either that or Joe Ahearne is somehow the worlds biggest fan of Ego the Living Planet, because honestly it makes as much sense to bring him back for use like it does to try and jam your vinyl records into a CD player. This isn't the first time someone else has taken a great idea by Mark Millar and tried to use it for their own in a continuation that never needed to happen. Something tells me this won't be the last time either, although it really clearly should.

And don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against Ego the Living Planet. But come on, even I had to actually Google his name.

EDIT: I realize that, due to some kind of crazy fluke error, the issue that I was provided with had the wrong cover. I have made sure that I posted the right cover on this blog, and apologize to anyone for whom this spoiled the entry of Ego the Living Planet. I still think my article and points remain somewhat valid, though.

Marvel Zombies 4 #3
Speaking of Mark Millar concepts that didn't need any futher storytelling, we have the latest issue of volume 4 of Marvel Zombies. See, I read this for two reasons: 1) I read everything and have read all previous Marvel Zombie books, even if I haven't liked them, and 2) the Hood is in it, and I'll pretty much read anything with the Hood. What happens in this issue pretty much reminds me of what happened with the Hood in Beyond!, where he had to put his own wants and needs aside in order to do an unexpected team up. The thing is, this book has seriously jumped it's own shark if that were possible. For starters, putting the Midnight Sons front and center as a team again in a mini is a definite shark jumper, but even more so is the fact that the book provides constant deus ex machinas for the team to escape from impossible situations in more and more ridiculous manuerisms. It gets to the point where we don't even really have a zombie infestation book anymore but rather a ridiculous mash up of horror elements into something that features a zombie virus as more of a side note than anything else. What made Mark Millar's reboot/redoing of the Frightful Four is that it was limited in scope and it was fresh. The more it's done, the less entertaining it becomes. All in all, this book makes me pretty sad, because I'm sure there are people out there who pick up the Zombie books on a regular basis, and I know what they have to go through. It also makes me sad that the Hood is a central character in this, because he's so much better than this. And finally, what makes me sad the most, is that zombie Deadpool's head is getting a spin-off series. Because, you know, we don't have enough Deadpool on the market today. I know I love Deadpool, but three different series with his name on it? Plus guest appearances in all the hot titles? And an upcoming Deadpool #900? It's getting to be a bit much, even for a fan like myself.

Vigilante #7
Despite it's big name, Vigilante just can't quite seem to make it so far. We've had a slow first few issues, and even the inclusion of Deathtrap (even though it was the best part of Deathtrap) was pretty pointless. I wanted to write this and say this issue changed all that, but I can't. It's not true. This issue, however, is a big step in the right direction. The problem with this book is it's been too unfocused because the tie-in for Deathtrap was coming, so Wolfman obviously had to fit that in. Now that's over with, we are reminded of the point of the book in the first place: Vigilante is hunting criminals and taking down mob bosses. This book offers us more of a back story on the character and offering of explanation towards his actions, and leaves us with him fully going after the Whale, essentially as the Punisher's less brutal twin. I think that, when reading this book as a Punisher-type story, it becomes a lot better, and hopefully with the stronger focus placed in the mob instead of tie-ins, the book will continue to flourish after this point. I'd really like to see Marv Wolfman pump out some more great works, although I do understand that Vigilante will never ever be at the same heights as a work like Crisis on Infinite Earths. Still, you can't help but feel bad that someone as important as him is doing something so menial. I look forward to future issues with a great hope from this issue and can only hope that with a talented writer like Wolfman, it gets better.