What You Should Have Read #55

Thought on Last Week’s Comics

Amazing Spider-Man #677 – I was not expecting Mark Waid’s name in the credits. I knew this was going to be a crossover with Daredevil, but I thought that Dan Slott would still have the writing duties on this side of the story. Hmm. I’m enjoying Waid’s current Daredevil run, but I’m nervous that this is going to be a little jarring compared to what I’ve come to love about Slott’s style with Spidey. Let’s see. […] Eh, not bad. Waid has a good handle on Spidey, and I loved the awkward at his suggestion of a hook-up to Felicia, but I like Dan Slott’s zaniness. I like the relationship between DD and Spidey. I’d go so far as to say they’re superhero best friends. You might argue and say Johnny Storm is in fact his BFF, but I look at them more like brothers. Waid uses that relationship to his advantage when Spidey swings to him for help in this issue. So, yeah, it’s a good issue, but it doesn’t totally feel like an ASM issue.

Brilliant #2 – I haven’t formed any concrete thoughts on this title yet. I’m a Brian Michael Bendis whore, I’ll admit that. I will buy every comic that lists him as the writer. I’m also a sucker for Mark Bagley. I’ve been enjoying his work since I picked up New Warriors #1 from the spinner rack…22 years ago? Damn, now I feel old. I’ve enjoyed the first two issues of this series, but I honestly can’t see anything new here, at least in the set-up. This whole thing sounds like it might have been a rejected idea for the new Ultimate Spider-Man. I can already see a “Peter vs. Harry” rivalry foreshadowed between Albert and Amadeus, unless (crossing my fingers here) Bendis is totally going to surprise us. That’s what I want, not Ultimate Spider-Man 2.0 (or I guess 3.0 would be more accurate).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9 #5 – I’m sure this issue will be another reason for the Buffy “purists” to continue hating on everything post-Season 5. Granted, I haven’t enjoyed everything that’s come after the TV show, but it hasn’t been bad, just different. The last page here, though…I don’t know. It seems like it’s the most shark jumpy thing you could do. I think I might have to take a break for a while and just focus on Angel and Faith. That’s a fun title.

Deathstroke #5 – So apparently Rob Liefeld is taking over this series in a couple of issues. I’ll be stopping with the issue prior to that. This book has been strong, so I don’t know why DC is messing with it. Does Liefeld EVER get positive press, fan reaction or critical reaction? Anyways, this issue went by extremely quickly. We learn how Alex hooked up with Slade, and we got just a smidge of history on Grant. Not bad, and a new Legacy shows up.

G.I. Joe: Cobra #8 – I’m not a big fan of villains. I mean, I like to watch heroes kick the crap out of them, but I don’t root for them. Now, if there’s a good reason for a villain to find redemption, sure, then I’ll root for him. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer springs to mind. And sometimes I like how a villain is portrayed, but I love it even more when he’s brought up so high, because the fall is usually epic. Norman Osborn is a good example of that. But I don’t root for the villain. That said, I’m way more interested in the goings on of Cobra instead of the Joes. Sure, I’m digging on the entire line…well, THIS part of the line. A Real American Hero isn’t really my thing. But the way IDW has taken this cartoon and toy that I grew up with and made it into a serious comic is wonderful. It almost makes sense that the military would have a special group like this. Watching the rise of Cobra has been way more interesting, though. The writers of all the books have taken these extremely goofy characters and made them staggeringly dangerous and cunning. It’s been a surprise hit for me, and I can’t wait to see what the new Commander does.

Journey into Mystery #633 – The first half of this book was better than the last. It was Loki being a clever wordsmith. The stuff with Hellstrom just seems a little forced, shoehorned into this book. This book has been top-notch since the beginning, though, so I have faith in Kieron Gillen to pull it off.

New Avengers #20 – Holy crap on a biscuit, now THAT was a fight! I have always loved Osborn and his teams, be they Thunderbolts or Dark Avengers, and this new team is no exception. Granted, they don’t ACT like a team, but that’s part of the fun. The biggest question raised out of all this super-punching gooditude is, “What’s up with Osborn?” The Green Goblin can’t take a punch from Cage, let alone knock him the fuck off his feet. New Goblin formula? Something more devious? Probably something more devious.

Resurrection Man #5 – I don’t remember much at all about Mitch Shelley’s origin from his previous series. I’m pretty sure he was tied to Vandal Savage in some way, but I can’t remember how. Did their powers come from the same meteorite? That sounds like something I might have read. Anyways, I like the glimpse of his origin that we received in this issue. Deathstroke was shown just enough so as not to feel unnecessarily thrown into the issue. This book always hovers between solid read and must have comic, but continue with issues like this and it won’t be a question every month.

Scarlet Spider #1 – Other than Spider-Island (and the stuff with Kraven’s family before that) I have absolutely no ties to Kaine. I stopped reading all of the Spider-Man titles right as the clone crap was beginning, and I didn’t get back into it until way after the death of Ben Reilly. Because of that, I’ve only got a vague curiosity about this series rather than any real desire to read it. I must say that the first issue has at the very least made me decide to give it one more issue to fully snare me in its web. The pacing was good, the internal conflict gripping enough without totally turning Kaine fully into Peter Parker, and I want to know why this bad guy is destroying anything connected to the container of dead slaves.

Secret Avengers #21 – As with Bendis, I am also a Warren Ellis whore. I love it when he brings his fringe science love to superhero comics, so I’ve really been enjoying his short run on Secret Avengers. This issue, though, his final before Rick Remender takes over, was something of a letdown. Maybe it’s that I wanted a few more issues out of him or maybe something a little weirder, but this issue just didn’t sit well with me, especially the ending. We’re supposed to believe that Cap wouldn’t have given Hood a quick pat down to check for weapons? I know they were on a time crunch, but I don’t think he’s that sloppy. Oh well, what’s done is done. I’m looking forward to seeing where Remender takes this team. I’m hoping for a Secret Avengers vs. X-Force run-in when the whole Avengers vs. X-Men shebang goes down.

Shade #4 – I don’t remember it being mentioned in an interview prior to the beginning of the series (or since, I guess), but I guess this issue firmly puts the Shade in Earth 2, right? If Superman is the first superhero of the DC’s New 52, then if superpowers are known in WWII, then this has to take place on the JSA’s Earth 2, right? James Robinson is writing both of these, so it makes sense, but then you’ve got Deathstroke showing up in the first issue, which leads the reader to think this is in the main universe. Can the Shade traverse the multiverse via his shadow powers? I liked how Robinson brought in Vigilante, who he wrote years and years ago in a mini. All in all, this was a beautifully written comic. We’ve seen the Shade as someone with compassion and love in his heart, but saving his great grandson and then having a chat with him seemed to humanize him even more, but he still had that air of mystery about him. What a great, great issue. Also, in case you missed it over the weekend, I may have scooped a story on an artist for an upcoming Earth 2 arc. Maybe.

Suicide Squad #4 – While not a quirky as the previous series (well, Secret Six), Suicide Squad is shaping up to be a winner of a book. I like that writer Adam Glass is afraid to sacrifice who he needs to, even though he’s only working with mainly low-level characters. Right now this is shaping up to be a Deadshot book, and I’m okay with that. He’s the character with the highest profile, and right now he’s the only one whose back story I care about. I’m looking forward to seeing the new team next issue, and the hunt for Harley should be fun.

Wolverine #300 – Stop it, Marvel. Just stop right now. I had originally thought this issue was a special little thing, like issues 900 and 1,000, but no, this is another renumbering thing, isn’t it. Gah, useless. It’s nothing but a joke to you guys. Although, the issue was pretty good.

Wolverine and the X-Men #4 – I read this issue with a feeling of joy and happiness. The actions and words of just about every character seemed true and real. I like Logan’s no secrets policy. Is that Husk at the faculty table with her hands bandaged, or is this something we’re supposed to remember later, the fact that this person isn’t being listened to, is interrupted by Beast and then not seen the rest of the issue? I like that Genesis and Angel are getting this new start at the school. They’re both different sides of the same coin and seem to have unlimited potential to go either way in the grand scheme of things. I like Deathlok casually throwing out possible futures, and I like Bobby’s decision to take care of Warren. Good…no, GREAT stuff this issue.

X-Factor #230 – Not a ground-breaking issue by any means, but still a solidly entertaining one. Actually, some big things happen. Layla lets slip why she seems to know so much. Madrox gives us a disturbing yet totally reasonable explanation for his powers. And two X-Factor alumni show up, but that’s not really a surprise if you’ve been following X-news for the past few months. Still, the last page brought a smile to my face because I started reading the X-books with Peter David’s first go-around with X-Factor (and the rest of the line-wide direction shift of that time).

This week I'm looking forward to:

Fables #113

Wonder Woman #5

Amazing Spider-Man #678

Avengers #21

Avenging Spider-Man #3

Daredevil #8

Invincible Iron Man #512

Moon Knight #9

Thunderbolts #169

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #6

Uncanny X-Force #20

Cobra #9

It’s a bad (good?) week to be a Bendis whore.

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas bills here and an unsure/shaky work situation. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Read #52

This SHOULD have been my 500th post, but I messed things up by posting those last three links. While the post is double-sized, I'm missing the requisite variant opening paragraphs. Sorry about that.

Thoughts on Last Week’s Comics

Amazing Spider-Man #676 – As much as I’m loving Dan Slott and his Amazing Spider-Man, I had a hard time believing that Doc Ock and his Sinister Six could take down the Intelligencia. I realize the guy is smart, but smarter than MODOK, the Mad Thinker, the Wizard AND the Red Ghost? I’m not sold on that.

Avengers #20 – I can’t say I’m all that thrilled with the new line-up. The Protector hasn’t been fleshed out enough to make me care about him. I mean, I loved Grant Morrison’s mini that introduced him, but everything after that has been extremely lackluster and random. I don’t like his current look or identity, and how random was it when he brought his girlfriend over to meet the team? He’s got a girlfriend? When did that happen? The only upside I can see, at least in the immediate future, is his former relationship with Osborn. The guy was on the first iteration of the Dark Avengers and left for moral reasons. Will the fact that Osborn has a new team affect him at all? Also, the Vision came out of left field. Stark has been working on him in his spare time? What spare time? And what about the kid over with the Young Avengers? Isn’t he part Vision or something? I usually go ga-ga for anything Bendis writes, and while I like Osborn coming back and attempting to start some major shit, there are just a few things that are pulling me out of the story.

Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #6 – Ennis is really doing some awesome shit with this superhero opus. The main series shows us stuff that forces us to ask questions. We might get an answer every now-and-then in the series, but not many. Herogasm helped, as did Highland Laddie, and this mini is doing a lot to connect a bunch more dots. I thought the way he put himself in the story was a bit much, though.

Daredevil #7 – There’s something to be said for a good story, a one-off issue that isn’t bound by the restraints of an event or a crossover. Daredevil has been doing

Fables #112 – The only bad thing about the pacing of this book is that sometimes I forget things that happened quite a while ago. Like with this issue, I forgot that Rose was hired on by…the Blue Fairy? Is that who she’s working for now? And how long ago did that actually happen? Other than that, I enjoyed her journey and orientation, and I’m continuing to enjoy the search for/training of a new North Wind.

Fantastic Four #601 – Let’s just ignore that this is the third time we’ve jumped back into the first volume of this title (1-416, 500-588, now 600-601…ridiculous, Marvel). Oh my fuckin’ God, Johnny Storm is back and it’s awesome. This was such a good issue. I was wondering how this was actually going to be a problem, what with the Annihilation Wave and the Inhumans kicking ass in space, and then I got my answer on the last page. Unintended consequences, just like Ronan was dealing with.

Invincible Iron Man #511 – I love that Mandarin and Stane are doing tape review, like a football team before a game. They’re looking at Tony and looking for any possible weakness, and they may have found it. And Tony’s enemies are teaming up. Spider-Man has the Sinister Six. The Fantastic Four have the Frightful Four. The X-Men have the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Flash has The Rogues, the Justice League has the Injustice Gang, and the Justice Society has the Injustice Society. Tony needs a team of villains against him, and it looks like this may be it. Now they just need a cool name.

Journey into Mystery #632 – Marvel is doing a pretty good job about being creative with their first page recaps. Between Loki and Ikol’s introduction in this title, the Daily Bugle headlines and articles over in Amazing Spider-Man and Peter David’s personal updates in X-Factor, these are very entertaining and a good way to ease into the comic. Not that this issue needed to be eased into. It was a one-off that wasn’t quite a one-off. Those hell-puppies were adorable, and I’m looking forward to some good stories in the future starring them.

New Avengers #19 – I am full on loving this Osborn comeback. He’s not just a Spidey villain, he’s a MARVEL villain. And I like this team so much more than the main one. It’s just more fun, less serious.

Shade #3 – I think it’s a crime to do a write-up about this series and not mention the absolutely exquisite covers by Tony Harris. Cully Hamner is a good artist. I’ve got no complaints about him, but Tony Harris IS Starman to me…and to a lesser extent so is Peter Snjejbjerg. But the covers that Harris is creating for this series are nothing short of works of art. I would LOVE to have one of these (hell, probably any Starman cover he’s done) framed and on the wall of my house.

Suicide Squad #4 – Is it wrong that I’m slightly turned on by Harley? This ain’t your Batman Adventures Harley Quinn, that’s for sure. I think it’s pretty obvious that she’s the one who started the riot. It’s a convenient way for her to escape, now that the bomb is deactivated, and get to Gotham to check on Mr. J, to see if Boomerang was lying. Also, I was happy to see him used as a pawn rather than the team leader. This isn’t the Suicide Squad that I fell in love with, but I have to admit that I’m enjoying what I’m reading.

Thunderbolts #167 – Nice twist to the issue, but I was kind of hoping that the reason for the Ripper would be a bit more sinister and a little less mystical. Still, a solid issue, and I’m looking forward to Camelot in the next issue. And hey! What’s Ghost up to?

Ultimate Spider-Man #5 – Is it okay for me to really like a Spider-Man that isn’t Peter Parker? I hope so, ‘cause I’m really liking Miles. Also, I really like Bendis’ Nick Fury. I really dislike Millar’s Nick Fury. They don’t even seem like the same character. This issue was great. From Spider-Woman to the Ultimates to Electro, it was just plain great. Like Fables, it’s difficult for me to praise the same things issue after issue.

Uncanny X-Force #18 – Originally, I was disappointed in this because, well, it’s not like I wanted anybody to die, but the whole thing was leading up to Warren’s death. Then he just walks back to the group, a winged amnesiac? I thought it was a big cop out to a great story. Then I read an interview with Rick Remender who said that Warren is in fact dead. The Life Seed that killed him then rebuilt his body from the ground up. All it is is a shell, a baby, really. It’s alive, but it isn’t Warren. I’m more okay with that, especially since this WAS such a good story.

Uncanny X-Force #19 – After going almost nonstop for 18 issues, this is a much-needed down issue. Wolverine’s involvement in and continuation of X-Force is addressed with Beast, and Evan, the child clone of Apocalypse is enrolled in the school. Nightcrawler is back, kind of, and Angel…well, we don’t know about Angel yet. He’s a blank slate. Although, it looks like he still has his metal wings, which I assumed were gone. That was an Apocalypse thing, and I was under the impression that the Life Seed rebuilt Warren, not Archangel. Great issue, even if there was no action. I’m hoping I can follow the Captain Britain stuff coming up since I only barely know of the Corps background.

Wolverine and the X-Men #3 – Oh, what fun. The offspring of Krakoa is now a student? Nice. I’ve always been a sucker for well-written teen superheroes. Geoff Johns’ Teen Titans. The original New Warriors. The Young Avengers. The beginning of the second New Mutants series. And now this new school for gifted youngsters, where the students are as much a part of cast as are the X-Men.

X-Factor #229 – I…I really don’t know what to say about this issue. It’s confusing, but readable because there’s a bit of an explanation as to what’s happening, just not why.

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas bills looming on the horizon. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Read #42

Last Week’s Comic Book Awesomeness

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9 #1 – Oh, I miss the show. The comic is great, but I really miss the show. I liked how Season 8 started, but I didn’t really care for how it ended. I hope I don’t feel the same way about Season 9, because I enjoyed the first issue.

Journey Into Mystery #627 – Loki’s not in this one, it’s all about Mephisto…and his showing here is just as good as his showing in the last issue of New Mutants. It’s a smart and cunning Mephisto. I like that. From the beginning, the opening text/recap page, it’s all about Mephisto and his involvement in Fear Itself. On one hand, I like to think that the inevitable confrontation between Mephisto and Loki will be epic, but it might be epic on a small scale…two powerful entities out-snarking one another.

New Avengers #16 – Hmm. Daredevil in the Avengers. Is he a full member now or an associate, one they call when his special talents are needed? He’s not on the cover for the next issue, so the question is valid. I like him. I like Bendis writing him. But is he really one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? Let’s see where this goes.

Ultimate Spider-Man #1 – I like Miles Morales. I like him and I like his family. He’s not Peter Parker and they aren’t Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but they’re good people and I like them. This is how you raise a Spider-Man. I hate that people are in an uproar about this. I hate that people are upset that this is a boy of color who becomes the new Spider-Man. I hate that there were ignorant people upset and didn’t understand a quote by artist Sara Pichelli and assumed the new Spider-Man was gay, and they had a problem with that. I understand that you’re introduced to a character and fall in love with him, but sometimes people die, and in this case, it was a fictional character named Peter Parker. This new kid isn’t Peter Parker, and he shouldn’t be Peter Parker. Peter Parker is dead. Deal with it. This kid has different powers and a different background. The origin, in general, is the same, but the results are different. That’s how it SHOULD be. If Brian Michael Bendis wanted to write more Peter Parker Spider-Man stories, he wouldn’t have killed Peter Parker. Now we get to read Miles Morales Spider-Man stories, and I’m perfectly fine with that. I trust Bendis to provide me with an entertaining and engaging story, and I so far haven’t been disappointed with this first issue. Also, Spider-Man’s uncle looks to be Deadpool.

Uncanny X-Force #15 – This is, by far, the best of the X-books at the moment. The action is there, the wit is there, and the art is there. It’s a good-looking book that is good to read. When this eventually ends, I would totally read a buddy team-up book featuring Deadpool and Phantomex.

DC’s New 52 Week 2

Deathstroke #1 – This must be the week of villainous books for me. I’ve never been a great fan of Deathstroke, but I’ve appreciated what he’s done and how he’s done it. There’s nothing here about the character that would keep me coming back to the book, but I’m curious as to what’s in the briefcase. I want to know if the eventual revelation will be a satisfying payoff.

Green Lantern #1 – Fuck DC and their reboot. Between this issue and Red Lanterns, what exactly was rebooted with the various Lanterns? I mean, I’ve been reading GL for quite a while now and I know what’s going on, but this was a not a new user friendly book. There’s SO much backstory that needs to be known. And from what I’ve seen and read, the Batman line is doing similar shenanigans. If you’re going to reboot, reboot. Push the button and start everything over. Now, that being said, I enjoyed this book and how it continued the story from before the “reboot.”

Red Lanterns #1 – I’m not totally sure this is a necessary title. This seems like mini-series material to me. It was good, but I don’t know if it presented enough…foresight?...to warrant a full series. I like the stuff with Atrocitus and the rest of his Red Lanterns, but the Earthbound stuff seems shoehorned in.

Resurrection Man #1 – I didn’t read this book the first time around. I ended up picking up the entire series on Ebay for cheap about 7 years or so ago. I remember thoroughly enjoying it, so I was interested to see what would happen here. I’m glad Mitch is back, and I’m really interested in seeing all the stories Abnett and Lanning came come up with using this wonderful premise.

Suicide Squad #1 – Great first issue. We meet the team, we see a bit of action, and we’re left looking forward to these six secret villains tasked to killing 60,000 people. I really miss Gail Simone’s Secret Six, especially after Batgirl #1, which I did not like, but judging from the first issue, I think I’m going to like this new Suicide Squad. And I’m really happy they kept on King Shark.

Superboy #1 – Well, this was a surprise. At it’s most basic level, the premise of Superboy is exactly the same as the original premise for Connor Kent. Replace Cadmus (who is apparently pretty active in the New 52) with N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and you’ve got a different character made up of the same building blocks. I like where this is going. I’m going to read more of this book. 

Probably for the rest of the month I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit it out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But my experiment this weekend proved to me that I actually AM making a spot of cash whenever the ads are clicked. So I’m going to put this little disclaimer on the bottom of all my posts for the next month or so, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. Thanks so much!

What You Should Have Read #8

After a week away from comics, I’m ready to get back into it.

Boys #38
JSA: All Stars #2
Marvel Boy: Uranian #1
Nation X: X-Factor
New Mutants #9
Siege #1
Siege: Embedded #1
Suicide Squad #67
Superman: World of New Krypton #11
Ultimate Spider-Man #6

Alright, here’s something new for the new year. I’m going to do some forecasting based on the titles alone.

First of all, there aren’t as many comics on this list as I was hoping for. That being said, the first issue of Siege is here, and I’m extremely pumped about it and what it may do to the current Marvel landscape. If Ultimate Spider-Man is ever in my stack, it usually ends up being the best book of the week. I’m betting Siege gives it a run for its money.

I’m getting Suicide Squad because it’s by the Secret Six team, not because I have any love for the Squad. I’m betting it’ll be just as good as a regular Secret Six issue. I’ll tell you what I AM looking forward to, though, with these quirky little cancelled comic continuations. Starman. Robinson back on Starman. Sure, it’s only for an issue, but oh, that’s my favorite series of all time. I may just weep after (or during?) I read it.

I’m assuming that Embedded is the Frontline equivalent for this event. I didn’t much care for the Frontline books during the other events, so I’m not actually planning on liking Embedded, but I will give it a shot.

Stuff That I Loved

Suicide Squad. I hate it when villains are turned into good guys. I just don’t think it works. Which is why this book (c’mon, it’s really a Secret Six book) works so well. These are bad guys, and Simone (and Ostrander in this book and the last issue of SS) aren’t trying humanize them to make them likeable. They’re making them likeable by portraying them as the bad guys they are. There’s not one character that you feel sorry for because this is how their life turned out. We root for these guys and gals and their evil ways, and we don’t think twice about it. It’s some damn good writing. And this issue has the Six going up against Waller and her Suicide Squad? Awesome. Oh, yeah, and it’s a Blackest Night crossover to boot. Not so much in this issue, this is kind of a prologue, but I assume that the next issue of Secret Six is going to be all sorts of violence and mayhem and death.

Siege. Maybe I’m a sucker for spectacle. Maybe I’m a whore for Brian Michael Bendis. Or maybe this was just an awesome way to start an event. Now, Loki being part of a villainous cabal and scheming up a Marvel event is nothing new. He was the mastermind behind the Acts of Vengeance a couple of decades ago. But it’s what he does, and he’s been manipulating Osborn superbly. So Osborn is now leading a charge against Asgard with Ares as his general? Goosebumps. I also really liked how, although the lot of them seem to be somewhat normal people, ALL of the Asgardians are recognized as gods, not just Thor or Loki or Hela, gods OF things. And Osborn’s Avengers know this and are rightfully scared to face them down. The only thing I had a problem with was starting the book off like Civil War, with a disaster with a well-meaning hero at the center of it and the persecution of a group of people because of it. I guess it’s just the last few years coming full circle. Also, ALSO, I dislike the cover treatment for this event and its crossover issues. As with Civil War, it's wasting a good chunk of the cover that could have more art on it. Eh.

Stuff That I Liked

Nation X: X-Factor. This book was snarky and witty and full of puns, just like you’d expect from a Peter David book. At the end of the day, though, the only thing it accomplished was leaving Longshot on Utopia. The way the issue ended, though, we’ll see if he’s actually staying on the island or if he’ll be right back in X-Factor. I enjoyed all the interactions between X-Factor and the mutants on Utopia, but again it’s made clear that I’m a little off on recent history.

Ultimate Spider-Man. I feel a little bad putting this book in this section rather than the previous. This has consistently been my favorite book each month, what, 10 years or so? The book’s starting to get too crowded, though. Peter Parker/Spider-Man has always had a large supporting cast, but now his house is becoming a home for wayward superboys. Now, I’m still loving the dialogue between all of these characters, but we’re really going to need a scorecard to keep up with everyone.

The Boys. Very, very solid origin story for the Female, but not enough there to make me love it. It was definitely better than Frenchie’s story. As with Butcher, you really felt sorry for her situation. It’s been really nice to finally see why all the characters are on the team.

Stuff That Was Meh

Superman: World of New Krypton. Yawn. I’m ready for Superman to get back into costume and back in his own books. I’ve grown more attached to New Krypton than I have any of its residents. I like the concept of a world of Superman on the opposite side of the sun from Earth. I just haven’t been made to care about any of the new characters, though.

Siege: Embedded. Ben Urich is a supporting character and is not interesting enough to warrant his own book. This idea was novel during the Civil War, predictable during World War Hulk and Secret Invasion, and no it’s just tiring. Maybe, MAYBE Volstagg can save the book in a way that Speedball couldn’t with Civil War: Frontline. But how many times has Urich had his chance to take down Osborn, and how many times has he failed? I think I’ll stick with the fighting and stuff in the other Siege-related books.

New Mutants. I have a feeling that had I not taken a lengthy break from the X-Universe, I might have liked this issue more. Doug has the ability to grow on me as a character. I’m not giving up on him, no matter how lame he was in the past. It’s Illyana. The last time I saw her, she died of the Legacy virus. Apparently there’s been a lot that’s happened to her since then. This issue gave a solid attempt at trying to explain who or what the current incarnation of Illyana is, I just couldn’t grasp it, though. Maybe I’m just to tired right now. I’m not giving up on the book, though.

JSA: All-Stars. This book seems to just defy the purpose of the Justice Society. It’s to train the next generation of superheroes to be HEROES, not soldiers. No thank you. I’ll stick with the main book.

Marvel Boy: The Uranian. I guess Marvel felt like they had to delve into Bob’s origin a bit, but so far with this first issue I’m just yawning through it. The misunderstood stranger angle has been played to death, and so far this issue has offered up nothing new. Add that to the fact that I find Bob to be the most uninteresting member of the Agents of Atlas, and you’ve got a book I’m no longer interested in…except for the pretty covers.

Stuff That I Never Ever Ever Want To Read Again

I hope to never have to put anything in this section. There's very little out there that I'll never pick up again. Usually it'll depend on how crappy I think a writer is. I can deal with crappy art as long as there's a wonderful story to go along with it. But not even crazy-good art can save a horrendous story.