Stuff I Read This Week Episode 15 or If The Marvel Universe Were A Corporation, The X-Men Would Be Locked In A Sweatshop

Atomic Robo: Real Science Adventures #8- I like westerns, I like kung-fu and I LOVE steampunk. This month, Brian Clevinger does a masterful job of combining all three into a fun, action packed romp. Honestly, this is the kind of adventure the Wild Wild West film should have been (Will Smith passed on the Matrix for that, by the way). If you're not familiar with the ongoing storyline, you don't need more than the bite sized synopsis on the first page to jump right in the fun. Sharpshooter Annie Oakley and physician/martial arts master Wong Kei-ying are overseeing some doohickey's delivery by train to supergenius Nikola Tesla. Ominous men  in black want to steal it and use it to take over the country. That's it. Clevinger jumps into the driver's seat and floors it with a high speed train chase reminiscent of Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy.

Afterwards, Clevingers gives us a four page adventure entitled "What Happens in Egypt Stays in Egypt" starring Atomic Robo himself. Although I wish it were a little longer, these few pages still manage to bring home the bacon. It's funny, it's right to the point and Derrick Fish's artwork is gorgeous.

Bottom Line: It's fun, it's nice to look at and it's easily for newcomers to pick up. Not a bad package for $2.75 once a month. 8.5 out of 10.


The Wake #1: Thus far, I've enjoyed everything I've read from Scott Snyder. I liked his take on Swamp Thing, I liked his take on Batman and I looooooooove American Vampire. I want to like this new Vertigo title, too, but...even considering this is the first issue, I'm not entirely sure what kind of story he's trying to convince me this actually is.


The first few pages start off giving us some kind of "Waterworld" quest and then it rewinds to the past where we see what looks like the beginning of a horror story that puts me in the mind of The Thing or The Abyss. It's kind of annoying to have two moving parts so far away from each other right out of the gate but it can be (somewhat) overlooked for now. Snyder's character development is top notch here. Our central character, Dr. Lee Archer, is a no-nonsense character with an courageous attitude similar to Ellen Ripley from Alien. We're teased with just enough of her past to keep the narrative interesting without getting too bogged down in forcing us to worry about it right away. Sean Murphy ridiculously detailed pencils are perfect for Snyder's insanely creepy story....especially towards the end. Once the stage is set, we immediately feel as if we're locked in with these characters and whatever madness awaits them at the bottom at the ocean. Although it begins feeling slightly disjointed at the beginning, it's good start for a ten issue miniseries. I just wish I had a better feel for what I'm reading right away, but that's just my instant gratification complex talking.

Bottom Line: Despite the first few pages feeling a bit out of place, the artwork and the storytelling afterwards is more than enough to merit picking up the next issue. 8 out of 10.


X-Men #1: Okay, now these X-titles are getting out of hand. You would think that this Marvel NOW initiative, with its streamlined image, would want to condense the number of titles with X-Men label on them. Alas, as we've all learned, Marvel would print 30 pages of Lil Wayne finger painting the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody with maple syrup if they thought there was money in it. Therefore, we've got another X-book.

Is it a waste, though? I mean, we've got an all female team, Brian Wood (who wrote DMZ...nuff said) at the helm, and Oliver Copiel's artwork...which is sensational. His decisions for poses and costume designs alone deliver the message that you shouldn't be fooled by the all female cast. This isn't going to be T and A, it's not going to be oversexed and nobody will be drawn like Pamela Anderson (sorry Danger Girl). The ladies are drawn like actual ladies with a job to do.

 He and Wood are focusing on characters first and action second as Jubilee shows up at the Jean Grey school with a baby in tow (not hers....we're assuming) while the team also gets a visit from bacteria turned supervillain John Sublime. Giving the burden parenthood (temporary as it may be) to the most unlikely of the team was a good move on Wood's part. However, it's also risky. A book about a group of women with superpowers dealing things like stray babies runs the risk of sending the wrong message. It's also a plus that in the midst of All New and Uncanny's ongoing infighting, there's a book that gets down to business and sees mutants fighting evil instead of each other.

Bottom Line: There's not much to hate. It's a straightforward plot. The art is lovely. The female cast isn't a bunch of stereotypical Spice Girls. I'm in. 9 out of 10.