Stuff I Read This Week Episode 11 or May I Carry Bendis and Mack's Books to School?

Age of Ultron #6: I've intentionally stayed away from reviewing Age of Ultron issues for a while because, honestly, I was only going to have the same things to say about it as the last time I reviewed it. Before I get into this, let me say I've decided that Marvel has been pushing biweekly books more often because they're going to make more money from 1). selling more books in a month and 2). charging more money when the big crossover events go to print as hardback graphic novels. Yes, I'm looking at you, $75 Avengers Vs. X-Men (sorry, but there are hookers that don't cost that much). I can already see the mainly one-shot tie-ins to Age of Ultron occupying a mammoth hardcover that takes up more space on a shelf than a Robert Jordan novel. Because rain or shine, Marvel would make a pinata of Ray Bradbury's corpse if they thought someone hid a bag of nickels in it.

Anyway, this book is starting to pick up speed. The first half of this event was more of a survival drama asking "Where Were You When the Evil Robot Finally Evolved Past Windows Vista?" while portraying its distraught characters more like the superhero version of The Walking Dead. Now, the players seem to be mostly assembled with purpose and a bad guy to go punch though there seems to be some debate on who that actually is. Captain America has taken a team of big guns to go for a last ditch, head-on conflict with Ultron while Wolverine is elsewhere being Wolverine to the shock of noone. By splitting up the team to fight the good fight (using that term loosely) on two fronts, Bendis' characterizations and conversations have gotten noticably stronger. There are some characters he just has down better than most and Wolverine is definitely one of them.

The most obvious change is Carlos Pacheco and Brandon Peterson tagging Bryan Hitch out on the artwork. Just as our heroes have split up, so have the artists. Pacheco draws the events taking place in the past while Peterson handles the fight in the future...which becomes more of a sidenote than I would have assumed. Peterson's digital renderings tend to result in subjects slightly more lifeless and rigid than Pacheco, whose intimate scenes don't have much difficulty bringing you into moments that have a great deal more gravitas this issue.

Bottom Line: A strong change of pace and plot that will surely put the "it's moving too slow" whiners to rest. 8 out of 10.




Daredevil End of Days #7: The problem with a comic title this good is that if you review it's hard to review more than once because it's so goddamned incredible, you're almost afraid you're going to run out of good things to say about it. There's one more issue left and I'm almost sad to see it go. This is less of a series and more of a master class into how mini-series are supposed to be done. Dare I say...this is the Breaking Bad of Marvel's existing titles with Matt Fraction's Hawkeye running a very close second. If your comic can't be this good, you shouldn't be doing it. With the grade-A artwork Klaus Janson did during Frank Miller's legendary run on DD, it's more than appropriate that he be the one to draw what is essentially the Man Without Fear's eulogy.

Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack have become like two halves of the same DNA strands that make the tension that drives each page. They have a very unique understanding of what makes the world of Daredevil turn as well as what fans of ol' Hornhead want to see from a book that, until recently, we see very little of the titular hero in. I mean....the Punisher versus ninjas. I'm just going to leave that little tidbit there. Also, I am convinced that Bendis and Mack should be teaming up to write a Punisher series. There, I said it. Make it so, Marvel. That little piece of advice is on the house.

P.S.- I'm not very good at the internet, so I don't know what proper writer/blogger/Twitter fan protocol is, but I have to give extra special appreciation to David Mack (@davidmackkabuki) for actually interacting with his fans with all the respect and humility I would expect from someone of his caliber. Thanks for all of the replies, retweets and favorites and all that internet stuff.

Bottom Line: There will come a day not too far from now when this title is required reading for any serious comic reader. What Dark Knight Returns did for Batman....End of Days is doing for Daredevil. 9.5 out of 10.

Danger Girl Trinity #1: Remember that Pamela Anderson show, VIP, where a bunch of kick-ass women kicked ass and Pamela Anderson was Pamela Anderson? No, I didn't think you would and this book is a stark reminder of why. You know, I was a fan of the Danger Girl series back in the day. Then again, "back in the day," I was 13 years old so VIP was awesome to me, too. Besides, J. Scott Campbell was working on it back then. Without him, Andy Hartnell's thin story seems to come across as Dwight Howard without Kobe Bryant: he can only fake it on his own for so long before everyone realizes this patchwork won't make it out of the playoffs. I can't tell you much about the story because there isn't much of one aside from a small ripoff of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade that didn't hit any of the right notes.

Bottom Line: Big boobs, big guns, tight clothes, thin plot, sloppy artwork....and here, I'd almost forgotten what the 90's was like. Oh, well. I'll keep trying. 3 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 10 or SweetLittleBabyJeremyRenner This Book is Good!!!

Hawkeye #9: The Avengers movie is probably the best thing to ever happen to Clint Barton. He's in most of the team lineups in the comics as well as the most recent cartoon series and now his solo series is, appropriately, one of the best things to happen to comics right now. This book is a nigh-perfectly crafted tutorial on how an evenly paced superhero character study should be done. In this installment of "what Hawkeye does when he's not being an Avenger," we get a hilarious look into his relationship with the women in his life while he has what is easily one of the worst days ever. Seriously, I would have called this issue "It Sucks to Be Me." I laughed and cringed all at the same time watching him reap what his facepalm-inducing, bad opposite sex decisions sow. Matt Fraction seems to have this character almost down to a science, balancing fun, witty dialogue and kinetic action on a proverbial tightrope. One of the best gems this book has to offer is Clint Barton's bond with Kate Bishop (aka Hawkeye with Boobs). It's hard not to fall in nerd love with the sailor mouthed, Vespa riding, comic heroine version of Ellen Page. The mod look of the art David Aja lends to this title makes this one of the strongest projects Marvel has to offer.

Bottom Line: Funny dialogue, lively artwork and tight pacing.....if comics can't be done this well, they shouldn't be done at all. 9.5 out of 10.



Saga #12: You know, I'll never understand the logic behind what constitutes as a "controversy" in comics. You have a comic that's been going strong for a year now that's featured a giant ogre's herniated nuts and at least two sex scenes in it by now (all comics should have at least one panel of TV-headed robot sex so I can make a collage and send it to Rick Santorum). Yet, when we get a small flash of gay sex, everyone throws their hands in the air. Grow up, people.


Anyway, with Hawkeye and Daredevil: End of Days running a close second and third, Saga is probably THE BEST thing happening in comics as we know them. The fact that something that didn't even take up an entire panel on a page could piss people off so throughly (albeit for about ten minutes) is proof of how visually arresting Fiona Staples gets throughout this title. This issue of the critically acclaimed unconventional space opera focuses mainly on Prince Robot IV, the royal foil pursuing Alana and Marko across the stars as he engages in a verbal tug o' war with an incendiary author we could grow to love if he lives long enough. The first pages of this issue, after all, serve as a warning from Vaughn not to get too attached to any one character too soon. It's surprising how easy it is to connect with this faceless villain. One would think trying to relate to a guy with a television for a face would be more difficult a prospect, but it's a testament to Brian K. Vaughn's characterizations married with Staples' visuals. Together, it makes for a book that throws vulgar, bizarre images and platitudes in your lap and nonchalantly says, "Deal with it, motherfucker."

Bottom Line: Another solid entry to a fantastic series unlike any other in comics right now. 8.5 out of 10.


Uncanny Avengers #6: I'm not going to try and wax poetic about this title simply because, going from the last issue to this issue, I now have no idea where this book is going anymore. Rick Remender seems to have caught Damon Lindelof's "Lost" disease and decided to either hold or abandon his Unity Squad infighting/Red Skull/Onslaught storyline and go into some time traveling mayhem. Apparently, Apocalypse has a bone to pick with Thor....for some reason. The resulting romp is pretty entertaining, but the book's sudden shift in tone and focus leaves us scratching our heads. It literally feels like Remender was in a rut and said to himself...."You know what this book needs? A Thor/Apocalypse fight." Forturnately, Daniel Acuna's pencils are dazzling enough for nobody to mind this new plotline. His face off between Thor and the Four Horsemen is worth its weight in gold. If you didn't like the story as it was before this issue, you'll probably like where it seems to be going now. If you like coherence....I don't know....learn to let go.

Bottom Line: This was a decent issue. It would just be nicer if I know what was happening or why. 7.5 out of 10.

How the "Spider Man Meeting" Really Went....

Captain America: Okay, listen up, men!

Spider Woman: **clears throat**

Captain America: Okay, listen up....everyone. Sorry, Jessica.

Hawkeye: Yeah, Steve, if you have another complaint like last time, Maria Hill's going to make us do that sensitivity training again.

Wolverine: The next shrink that makes me sit through one of those sexual harassment videos is getting a claw in the eye.

Thor: Aye, friend Logan. The green one was not amused, either.

Hawkeye: You know, I was meaning to ask someone about that. Should the Hulk really be getting in touch with his inner Justin Bieber or whatever? That should take away from his productivity. I mean, isn't aggression the whole reason the Hulk is the Hulk in the first place?

Spider Woman: Easy for you to say. You didn't have that gorilla grab your ass on the jet during that thing that time.

Captain America: People, please! I called this meeting to talk about the Spider-Man issue.

Black Widow: I'd like to talk about that, too. I mean, I liked Django Unchained, but Jamie Foxx as Electro??

Captain America: I didn't mean....

Spider Woman: Yeah, and that last movie....why did Andrew Garfield take his mask off ALL the time?

Hawkeye: Considering that guy leaves his damn mask in the bathroom all the time, I think it's pretty accurate.

Captain America: That's not what I was.....

Iron Man: Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late. I was doing an interview for Maxim magazine.

Black Widow: Of course you were. You're probably on the cover again.

Iron Man: Actually, no, a Kardashian is on the cover. I was actually conducting the interview.

Hawkeye: By that, you mean you were sleeping with her, right?

Iron Man: Wrong. Nobody slept. What'd I miss? Is this about sensitivity training?

Captain America: We're meeting today to figure out how we're going to deal with the Spider Man issue.

Iron Man: Good. I mean, I liked Django Unchained, but.....

Captain America: No! Spider Man hasn't been himself lately. His behavior as of late has been....excessive.

Spider Woman: Excessive compared to what? Hitting people in the face with a big metal shield?

Captain America: That's different.

Spider Woman: How?

Captain America: Because I wear the American flag when I do it.

Hawkeye: I don't know, Cap. She's got a point. I mean, look at Wolverine. His power is basically stabbing people.

Black Widow: You mean it's not beer?

Wolverine: I'm right here, assholes.

Captain America: Hey! Focus! Spider Man! This is footage of him beating up Screwball, a thief who makes her escapes via parkour and broadcasts it via the internet.

Iron Man: Okay, that's just stupid.

Captain America: So, you see my point?

Iron Man: Yeah. I mean.....who steals stuff and posts it on YouTube?

Captain America: That's not my point at all.

Black Widow: I mean, Cap...Spider Woman had a point. I mean, I'm a spy. Everyone in the intelligence community knows I'm a spy. And an assassin.

Captain America: Yeah, but you're doing it for your country.

Black Widow: And Russia.

Hawkeye: I kill people, too, Cap.

Thor: In fairness, Steven Rogers, I do not wield a hammer for its decorative applications.

Wolverine: I've been killing people for at least a hundred years. And I'm Canadian.

Captain America: But Spider Man did it on live television.

Wolverine: I did it in a movie. I mean, I stabbed everybody in that movie. AND I'm pretty sure I took a bullet to the head.

Spider Woman: Logan, you should really stop being proud of that movie. Seriously. We're ready whenever you are.

Thor: Aye.

Hawkeye: Yeah, I think this is a non issue.

Black Widow: I second that.

Wolverine: Yeah, I'm outta here. I'm going to catch up on Walking Dead.

Captain America: But....America. Freedom. Tony, help me out here.

Iron Man: ......

Captain America: Tony! Are you in there?

Iron Man: What? Oh, sorry. I got distracted. Watching Game of Thrones in here. These dragons are.....

Thor: Nay, Tony Stark!!! Spoilers!!!

Captain America: **sigh**

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 9 or Spider Man, I Tried to Quit You....

Superior Spider Man #7: This book is like a woman I'm in a bad relationship with. I feel compelled to stay even after it sets my bed on fire like Andrew Garfield's girlfriend in The Social Network. This is, in part, thanks to acting captain Dan Slott keeping the ship afloat when it should be sinking faster than GI Joe: Retaliation's rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This issue, much like the few that precede it, is busy building tension as the Spider Man formerly known as Doctor Octopus is growing more excessive by the day. Now, it's one thing to shoot a man in cold blood in front of several witnesses, but beating up YouTube parkour thieves.....THAT'S the line. And the Avengers won't stand for it. So, it's time for an intervention. But first, another bad guy has to get beaten half to death. I have to admit that, although Slott is working with a fundamentally stupid premise, he's doing a good job of maintaining a semi readable book. This issue is a bit heavy on exposition and he has trouble deciding whether it's going to focus on Otto's narration or Peter Parker's ghost voice. Still, it's fast paced where the action is concerned and Slott's obviously dug his heels in and committed to seeing where this goes. Humberto Ramos' art is gorgeous, masterfully capturing the speed at which this book moves as well as its dark tone.

Bottom Line: It needs some work, but given what we're stuck with for the moment....it could be worse. 6.5 out of 10



Thanos Rising #1: With the teased plotline of the next Avengers film, it was a matter of time until we got a book highlighting Marvel's intergalactic, power hungry despot in his early years. With Jason Aaron on board, this is a good idea in theory. It doesn't hurt to have Simone Bianchi's dazzling pencils to help move things along either. Here, we get a look at the Mad Titan in his years as a boy in school which isn't exactly the most necessary storyline where this character is concerned. We're merely teased with her familial ties and honestly, that's a more compelling tale than this episode of Degrassi gone wrong that we're given. Peeling the veil back to give us a look at the inner psyche isn't always the way to go. Little Thanos seems to have a lot of feelings and we saw how wrong that can go in the Star Wars prequels. It takes away from the mystery. Darth Vader was a force of nature as far as fans were concerned. He wasn't an emo anime character. We didn't want to entertain the thought that he had feelings like us. Why? Because the "I find your lack of faith most disturbing" scene isn't quite as powerful and ominous when you can't shake the feeling that he's probably listening to Dashboard Confessional in his head when he says it. In the same regard, it takes away from Thanos' luster to know that he was just an outcast who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Bottom Line: A pretty penciled, yet wildly unnecessary tale to get us primed for the Avengers sequel we're already going to see. 5.5 out of 10


Abe Sapien #1: Of all the characters from Hellboy/B.P.R.D. fame, I've never felt like this is one that got the proper treatment. It's almost criminal to squander an opportunity to tell a story about a telepathic fish man. That's why I was glad to see him get an ongoing series. We don't know much about the history of Abe Sapien and although this issue doesn't lend much to that cause, it does offer a hope that will change before long. Sebastian Fiumara is definitely the guy you want drawing a Mike Mignola monster story, too. His creatures practically skulk and slither right off the page with his sketchy, grainy style. The premise seems simple so far: there are monsters about and someone has to stop them. The problem is that we only know this because everyone's talking about it. That's it. In a world of creepy, crawling things that go bump in the night, talking isn't the most appealing thing in the world even if it is in the service of setting the scene for newcomers to the B.P.R.D. universe. There are two pages worth action in this book and half of that is a vague flashback. I'm sure this is going to shape up to be a nice book. Just call me when someone punches a monster.

Bottom Line: It's an awesome book. Well, it will be when something actually happens. 6 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 8 or It's Time to Take Seth Rogen Off The Cross

East of West #1: I know that this blog finds me singing Jonathan Hickman's praises quite often, but he just won't stop earning it. This week in AWESOME sees us taking a look at his non-superhero work. This title puts Hickman's sci-fi skills to good use, blending equal parts fantasy, western, early American myth, biblical lore and cyberpunk to craft a story about the Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse awakening to a world that looks like half Sergio Leone/half Orson Scott Card seemingly in search of their fourth, shooting, stomping and maiming everything they come into contact with. He doesn't seem to be shy about letting you know right away that this is going to be a bloody ride with a ridiculously high body count. Although the action and the immersion into this new world and it's history leaves a small bit to be desired as far as story direction, we're left just enough of a sample to make us curious about where it's all headed.

You never know if you're going to see a saloon right out of Unforgiven or a towering behemoth of a skyscraper compound that looks right out of Star Trek. This new, strange world offers much to explore thanks to dazzling visuals compliments of Nick Dragotta. Anyone who is familiar with his work alongside Hickman on FF will be able to attest to his ability to leave you reading a book twice in one sitting just to go back and enjoy details and mannerisms you previously missed. And you certainly won't want to miss anything here.

Bottom Line: A strong, gorgeously rendered start to what looks like a promising sci-fi/fantasy tale. 8.5 out of 10

Green Hornet #1: I'm going to be the guy who says what nobody else wants to say. It's time to go ahead and forgive Seth Rogen. In fact, we should go ahead and thank him and his script being 100% awful. The Green Hornet movie sucked so badly, it's virtually faded from memory (now if only that same theory worked for pogs, Herman Cain and the Dallas Cowboys), meaning it's totally okay to start from scratch and reintroduce Batman's archetype with the action packed gusto he deserves. Mark Waid's work on Daredevil leaves him more than qualified to offer his take on the classic pulp hero, giving a proper introduction to new readers who were sound of mind and saved their money when the movie came out.

All You Need to Know: Britt Reid is a newspaper magnate who is secretly a vigilante masquerading as a criminal mastermind. Oh, and he has a sidekick named Kato with "a mastery of something called 'the martial arts'."

Make no mistake; this is a bare bones opening, giving us the basic premise as well as the cast of characters we're going to dealing, a crash course with which to navigate the gritty, noir world of 1930's Chicago. However, fans like myself will frown a bit at the fact that, aside from the twist ending, that's pretty much all we get. Despite a fun, well written (albeit slightly talky) adventure, there's not much you're left to wonder about if you're ever read, watched or listened to a standard Green Hornet adventure. It's a nice book to look at, too. Daniel Indro's dark, rough pencil work serves the tone of this story and its characters well. His facial expressions really come alive in dialogue heavy moments. Although some panels feel a little too scratchy at awkward times, it's still a good looking book nonetheless.

Bottom Line: An exposition heavy but fun jumping-on point to pull new readers into a classic character. 7.5 out of 10.



Fantastic Four #5AU: Since I'm not reviewing Marvel's big crossover title, Age of Ultron, this week, I decided to offer a look at one the tie-in issues. The great thing about this event is that it's so straight forward (an evil robot finally got smart enough to conquer/kill mankind), it doesn't require a lot of tie-in "community service" issues from other comics, subtracting from their respective plotlines to feed the ongoing event. However, Marvel is just greedy enough, they'd hang your baby kitten upside down and shake it if they thought there was money in it. So, of course, they're going to do tie-ins anyway. On the upside, the powers that be over at the house Stan Lee built have decided not uproot existing stories and, instead, just give us an "AU" issue in addition to the ongoing series that you don't necessarily have to read to keep up with your title.

Of course, if you're not already reading Age of Ultron, reading this book is going to be awkward for you. Although it's not a bad book, Matt Fraction would really rather not be telling this side-story (the main FF story is already awesome) and he doesn't seem to care who knows it. Basically, Reed Richard's children are left a holographic message that the gang had to go fight Ultron and they'll be back....perhaps. In keeping with Age of Ultron's opening survival aftermath theme of "Where Were You When the Evil Robot Came and Took Revenge For Not Being Pre-Programmed with Flash", we get scenes and flashbacks of Marvel's First Family joining the fight for mankind. There's not much left to the imagination plot wise. If you were already reading A of U, you know what's going on. If you weren't and you just investing in Fantastic Four...well...now you know. If nothing else, the book looks amazing. Andre Araujo's style has a catchy, old school look with a penchant for rounded, asymmetrical figures. The action looks urgent...especially where Ben Grimm's fight panels are concerned.

Bottom Line: It's not the most urgent book in the world to read, but it sure is pretty. 7 out of 10

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 7 or Finally, the Mainstream John Constantine We've All Been Waiting For....

Constantine #1: The sad fact about comic books is that no matter how well a hero works, how good the book is, how legendary and inspirational it can be.....nothing is sacred. This is especially true for DC Comics and their "New 52" reboot initiative. Part of DC's aim seems to be consolidating obscure or "outside" characters and properties into one universe. From what I can tell, it's been mainly an unequivocal failure (looking at you, Static, Grifter, Stormwatch) for reasons I'll be outlining in another post. The solo introduction of John Constantine isn't a complete bomb, but it's not quite the success it should be either.

For those of you that have never followed this character in Hellblazer, it's basically the story of a cynical, profanity laced occult detective conning his way through the supernatural underworld. And now he's being introduced into a world of superheroes. Great. Jeff Lemire does a serviceable job of not only conveying the basics we need to know about our hero, but using him and the less intriguing people (and other creatures) he's surrounded by to convey a general idea about the world of magic: It comes with a dark price. Just ask whoever keeps doing that to Lil Kim's face.

Although the overall theme is well conveyed and Constantine gets a decent introduction, everything else....like the plot....seems to fall to the wayside. Honestly, I couldn't tell you what happened in that book without looking at a spoiler blog. And the things I do remember advancing the story just didn't intrigue me on any level whatsoever. Shit happened.

Renato Guedes offered some pretty good artwork with cool designs for all of the magical effects, really making the few moments of gore stand out. The baddies, one of which looks like a "demon hipster chick" from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, are a particularly fun kind of creepy to look at. Now, if only they actually served some memorable purpose.

Bottom Line: Great designs, a fun lead and an interesting theme. Oh, yeah....and there was a story somewhere in there. 6.5 out of 10

New Avengers #4: So, this part of the Avengers franchise is where we're given the "shit just got real" premise. Jonathan Hickman brings his classic sci-fi influence to the "Illuminati", a think tank consisting of the most influential members of the superhero community who gather in secret and make all the "hard choices." In addition to being my theory on how Channing Tatum keeps getting work, it's the scenario we're used to superheroes convincing the status quo doesn't actually happen. Hickman's tension-building and characterization is tight to say the least. We get a truly resonant moment with Doctor Strange that shows what kind of individual it takes to be as powerful as him (let's face it....he's one of the most powerful and most underrated characters in Marvel Comics) and, ultimately, what this book is supposed to be about.

Steve Epting brings his "A" game to this title's art once again, perfectly portraying the constant sense of urgency delivered by Hickman's premise: "The universe is ending....somehow." He also does a great job of portraying what kind of smug douchebag the Sub Mariner is even when the whole of creation is on the brink of going the way of the dinosaurs....or season two of Heroes.

Bottom Line: Top shelf storytelling and visceral artwork makes this book twice the treasure it was in the last issue. 9.5 out of 10



Justice League of America #2: I'm convinced that some comic review sites out there are smoking crack (I'm looking at you, IGN). It's either that or perhaps their being punked, receiving issues of Daredevil: End of Days with the cover from the latest issue of Justice League of America taped on them. It's the only feasible way this book could possibly be receiving the high marks it's been getting. For those of who've been out of the loop concerning this book (as you should be), this is the story of a superhero team assembled to upstage the Justice League and, if they ever get out of hand, take them out. Because if Superman ever decides to enslave humanity, it's good to know Catwoman and the muslim Green Lantern (wherever the fuck he came from) have got our backs.



Geoff Johns is doing everything he can to make this revamped regurgitation of the excommunicated Justice League International premise bearable. He's not succeeding, but he hasn't completely failed either. This issue sees our heroes finally getting acquainted and deployed to take on the Secret Society who may not be who the team expects but totally what anyone who has ever read comics expects. In a thirty page book are exactly three positive points that altogether take up three or four pages:

-Amanda Waller is basically being set up to be DC's version of the Nick Fury characterization: "Suck it up and do your job....even though I'm probably lying to you."

-Stargirl might be the first character in the whole New 52 reboot I've seen smile.

-We get a brief but hilarious exchange from Vibe and Hawkman meeting for the first time.

And that's about it. I really want to like David Finch's artwork, but he and Jim Lee are the embodiments of one of the principal problems with this entire reboot initiative. Just look at the cover. With the exception of Stargirl, nobody ever smiles. Nobody's happy about anything. Ever. Everybody's either indifferent or pissed off like they just heard that there's going to be another Transformers movie. Oh, and no matter the book, the emotion or situation, Catwoman is the Megan Fox of comic books: she's only ever allowed to pout and that's probably because she has a chest cold. I mean, look....how could her chest NOT be cold?

Bottom Line: There's literally one entertaining page in this book. Maybe two. Google them. It's free. Since I was nice enough to give the first issue a four..... 3 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 6 or Marvel Needs to Hurry Up With Some "Cyclops Was Right" Shirts....

Uncanny X-Men #3:

"Scott Summers, you murdered Charles Xavier right in front of us. And thank you for putting a big X on your head for me to aim at."

I haven't been this interested in the X-books in quite some time. The identity of each title is becoming clear. With the mutant community's post "A vs. X" disarray, All New X-Men is a quirky look at the core team finding a way to cope with the rift caused by Cyclops killing Charles Xavier. "Uncanny" focuses on Scott Summers, now a self proclaimed Che Guevara leading a revolution team who recruits, protects and trains new mutants for what he perceives to be an impending war on his quickly blossoming race. The latest issue gives us the inevitable stare down between the renegade X-Men and the Avengers, resulting in an epic monologue/speech from Cyclops just when I was beginning to miss him chastising classic Marvel characters. I'll admit it is a bit heavy on exposition which is a common occurrence with Bendis books and there's a flashback moment I found sort of unnecessary, but aside from that, this was a solid issue for story development

I'm a fan of Chris Bachalo's artwork although he doesn't have the most diverse color palette when it comes to different races. He seems to be great at really making action panels jump out at the reader. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough action in this issue for him to truly shine. Still, the visual pop enough here to keep your eyes entertained.

Let me also say that I didn't expect Cyclops' new uniform to be so goddamned awesome. After the luster of the movies wore off, the design of a lot of the team's (in most incarnations) uniforms were geared toward being more superhero like, getting away from looking like the Black Panther Party making a cameo appearance in Saturday Night Fever. Even though, I enjoyed the updated version of his "original" outfit from his early years, if anyone needed and upgrade it was Scott Summers. Although I could see where the huge X might raise some eyebrows, think about it. As far as strategy goes, Cyclops is the Batman of the Marvel universe. Being in a holographic classroom designed to kick his ass, training to defend himself against giant killer robots since before he was old enough to shave is pretty badass. And now in addition to being an epic asshole, he's a revolutionary with a target on his back. What would an asshole revolutionary do? He'd put the target right on his head because he has every confidence there's no fucking chance of you hitting it. It's the ultimate "come and get me."

Bottom Line: Art and scripting are up to par enough to make this alpha male pissing contest between Captain America and Cyclops and enjoyable addition to this series. 8 out of 10.



Wolverine #1: "Tell Max I'm coming for the Wolverine uniform I keep behind the bar."

 I'm just going to say the obvious thing. Wolverine has too many damn titles out. And seemingly for no reason. The Savage Wolverine is basically the "Wolverine Stabs Dinosaurs." Wolverine and the X-Men is "Stabby Man and his Non Stabby Friends." And now we have this title in which, from what I can tell, we get a look at what Logan does when he's not stabbing things in the jungle or at mutant school. Paul Cornell throws us right into the middle of the action with a seemingly desperate hostage situation. The tension is there, the dialogue is on point, and even Alan Davis' pencils are absolutely beautiful, but at the end of the day, it still seems to come down this being a story thus far that should be titled "Someone Get Me My Suit....I Have to Stab Something." It just came down to....eh.

Bottom Line: Another title of Wolverine in the urban jungle looking to stab something. Very pretty, though. 6 out of 10.



Age of Ultron #2: "So, the end of the world actually happened and I slept through it? How much more me could I possibly be?"

Brian Michael Bendis opened this crossover event strong in the first issue and, although the tone shifted just slightly, he has yet to lose steam. This is definitely taking a slightly different tact than prevous Marvel events. Secret Invasion and Siege didn't use their quarterback writer correctly, going for the 50 yard touchdown pass instead of taking time with a good running drive down the field. It seems like it's doing a better job of exploiting what Bendis is best at: character development, dialogue and subtle yet rising tension. This reads less like a superhero epic and more like a "Where were you when the evil robot skull fucked the world?" disaster aftermath event.

This installment gives us some insight into where (as teased on the cover) the Black Widow and Moon Knight ended up in this post apocalyptic cyberpunk wonderland as well as how Spider Man ended up in the dire straits we found him in last issue. We don't get quite as much action as we did in the first issue we get enough movement in the story that it seems an adequate trade off. In his own way, Bendis like building epic story arcs that interchange action for exposition from issue to issue. For some readers picking comics upon release expecting their socks knocked off, this can be aggravating, but ultimately makes for a compelling story in the long run. Bryan Hitch is still no slouch in the art department. You can get lost for hours in the environments he creates, very reminiscent of Moebius' old work.

Bottom Line: Another awesome chapter in what looks to be a breath of fresh air for those tired to the usual crossover. 8.5 out of 10