This week's picks!

Another long week filled with long comics and some that felt too long and some that felt too short. Honestly, more that felt too long than ones that felt too short. I feel like I have to note here that CABLE AND X-FORCE barely didn't make the cut this week, which would have made this an incredibly easy list of picks to find in the comic book shop as they would have been all perfectly in a row on the shelves.

Captain America 14

Rick Remender continues to push Cap to his absolute limits and we're seeing it out there. It's rare that Cap is put through such unquestionable tragedy and put through something that maybe even he, who has seen just about every sort of horror, can't get past but it's possible Remender has found something of that sort here and it's coming through in very intense ways. One of the debates that has raged for a while with Bucky-Cap carrying a gun and whether or not Cap kills people and so on but I've always landed on the side of "Steve Rogers is a soldier. He has done these things. He's a great guy and has an unflinching moral compass but he does what needs to be done." That starts to come out in this issue with the idea that he might kill Nuke, with his rational brain saying that it's this or all of Nuke's future rampages are on his head but we can see as an audience that there is no rational brain here. On top of that, Falcon has some good moments and has to ask some questions himself. Just a lot of strong stuff happening here.

Captain America Living Legend 4

I've really liked this mini throughout and I think it ended just as strongly as it started. Throughout, I lauded this book for creating real-feeling peripheral characters who created sympathy for an entire nation and for the civilians in these crazy situations. It continues right up to the end as Colonel Gridenko immediately develops into a strong character when he's brought to the forefront of the story. It's a really interesting story and it's got solid writing and absolutely phenomenal art, making the whole of this series totally worth reading. Always nice to see writers I've not seen write Cap before write him really well. Sometimes you run into popular writers or people you've seen before take him and really just blow it. I didn't see that at all here. It didn't hurt that everyone had a good role in this series.





Superior Foes of Spider-Man 6

This one makes the cut over CABLE AND X-FORCE and THUNDERBOLTS, particularly, because of its sense of fun and it's pretty quick-paced tone. There's a lot happening here in terms of story and character but the fun of it all really comes out in the dialogue. I mentioned in my actual full review that the best scene came in the argument between Boomerang and Mach V as Mach V accuses Boomerang of breaking his parole and suspects him of continued supervillainy. One thing that's been obvious throughout this series is that Spencer has a real voice in his head for Boomerang and that's really been the driving factor of the book as a whole. As intriguing as parts of the plot have been (even when they move somewhat slowly) the key to the series has been the distinct voice and the tone of the book as a result. It's at its strongest here and it makes the book strong in turn.


Best Cover
Thunderbolts 19

I mean, look at this cover. Hilarious. Compare it to the first issue of THUNDERBOLTS and you can probably see the change in tone for the book, a change that I think has made the book far better and far more unique.

Captain America 14, Captain America Living Legend 4

Captain America 14
Remender (w) and Pacheco and Taibo (a) and White (c)

Captain America and Nuke have been fighting for quite some time before Cap starts to get through to him, explaining how his orders are wrong and how they have to go back to America and set things right. Nuke relents and helps Cap up as the American journalist who has seen the whole thing unfold takes another picture and reveals herself, setting Nuke off again. It takes all the remaining might of Cap and Falcon to slow him enough to give the journalist a head start and Falcon, after getting slashed across the stomach by Nuke and berated for being a civilian, still has to fly off a cliff to rescue her. When they land, he asks to have the camera to follow his orders and to make sure the pictures can't be skewed to look like America as a whole has anything to do with it but the journalist makes an impassioned plea to Falcon about freedom of the press and the orders he's following, which leads to him allowing her to keep the camera. Meanwhile, Cap has attacked Nuke again and finally hits his breaking point, something he knew he was reaching during the whole fight. He wails on Nuke and puts him down brutally before preparing to land a killshot, fearing that allowing Nuke to live only means allowing more wars to start and more innocents to die. Falcon shows up and takes the shield from Cap's hand just before he can bring it down on Nuke and Nuke falls unconscious, but not before he reveals that he did it all to make Cap and the other soldiers proud. Fury shows up to take Nuke away and to bring the heroes home and reveals that the journalist released the picture of Cap and Nuke shaking hands and framed it in such a way that it seemed like American operatives attacked the country, not just the broken Nuke. In China, the Iron Nail swears that America will be better for these attacks and that he needs to topple SHIELD to really start things rolling.

This is another emotionally charged issue that sits really well in this series. When Ed Brubaker started his already-legendary run on CAPTAIN AMERICA back in 2005, he started with a Captain America who was particularly aggressive and angry with the ways things had been falling and put more pressure on him by launching him into the epic Winter Soldier storyline. Steve was a little unhinged, though always in his "still morally better than you" way. He was strong in his convictions and he, of course, ended up being right but he didn't necessarily go about things the right way, rushing in half-cocked to certain delicate situations. We're seeing a bit of that Steve here, though maybe even more amplified, which makes sense. Brubaker's Steve had been worn down over time where this Steve has seen real personal tragedy and ten years of his life erased in the course of a week and, guess what, he's still in that week. Cap openly admits in his narration that he's tapping into a rage he hasn't felt before, something that's been hidden in him and brought out by the recent goings-on. He also is able to see that it makes him a worse fighter and a worse soldier so he continues to try to tamp it down, but it comes out in full as he pounds Nuke at the end. On top of the amazing character work that we're seeing and the decidedly different while also true-to-history Cap, there's a really interesting plot happening here with a world that is turning on SHIELD, if it was ever on SHIELD's side. Foreign powers working against America or working to smear America isn't new but the idea that a foreign power would want to, in whatever way, improve America by breaking it down first and allowing it to rebuild (he compares it to the re-birth of Germany after the fall of the evil reich) free from its corrupt government and SHIELD is a somewhat new twist on it and it comes at a time when the American people have less faith in their government and more suspicions than ever before. Really compelling story that's highlighted by phenomenal character work and really great art. Can't complain as Cap continues to grow.

Captain America Living Legend 4
Diggle and Granov (s) and Diggle and Robson (w) and Alessio (a and c)

Cap is being taken in by the dark energy entity before Volkov, deep within the base, manages to grasp control of it and pull Steve out. The energy keeps attacking and, with Cap's shield off in the distance, they have no weapons to defeat it. Cap rushes to his shield while the others buy a second's time, throwing it back in just as it prepares to overtake them. He leaves the shield with Dr. Fox and tasks Colonel Gridenko and his men with getting her to the Deus device so she can shut it down and stop the dark energy once and for all while he makes his way to Volkov. Gridenko knows that usually means death but lets him go all the same. Cap manages to reach Volkov, who tells him that he should have died that day Cap saved him and that his survival set in place a course of action that led to all of this. Even now, he cannot manage to die and the dark energy that's lived in him since his time in space consumes him, both of them hoping to die but unable to do so. He tells Cap that it's taken him 40 years to control the energy enough to allow a moment's respite and asks Cap to kill him in that time. Cap declines, wishing to get him to medical and scientific help but Volkov is adamant that it cannot save him, it will only kill any who'd get close enough. Finally Cap relents and prepares to shoot the soldier. He does and, for a second, it seems not to work. At that moment, though, Fox manages to activate the Deus device and pulls all of the dark energy in, destroying it there and leaving Volkov to peacefully die. Cap, Fox, and Gridenko leave the station with Cap still mourning Volkov and Gridenko essentially telling him not to waste his breath. Gridenko regrets what's become of Russia and its army as, to underline his point, a Russian bureaucrat shows up to question Gridenko on what's happened and why the Americans aren't being detained and so forth. Gridenko ignores him as Cap blows up the station. The Colonel then throws the bureaucrat to the ground and asks Cap for political asylum in America, which Cap happily informs him they can offer.

A pretty nice ending to the book, really powered by some great art, a compelling story, and nicely developed characters despite the length of the book. This is a shining example of a solid writer telling a good story but doing just enough to make sure the characters are all fully-fleshed out even without the benefit of a long series. So it is possible, you guys, and you don't have to sacrifice much to get it. Granted, I think Alessio's art really cemented this book; I think the writing was tight and the story was good but I may as well have just been distracted the whole time by the visuals. Still this is one of those stories that I think would be a good complete set to show someone who wasn't sold on Captain America or who didn't know a lot of comics, a really good beginner arc. There is an amount of soft science and the kind of stuff that will gain you some blank stares when you explain it out loud to non-comic readers but good luck finding any comic story worth its salt that won't. I don't actually know what the phrase "worth its salt" means because, I mean, it's salt, right? This day and age, that's not worth all that much. Anyway, I'm fairly certain it is a saying (please don't correct me if it's not, I don't need that you guys, just all assume I'm right). So another good issue to round out a good mini!

Comics this week

Another big week as another 19 or so major books come out on Wednesday. You might be asking yourself "gee, doesn't that make it over 60 in three weeks?" Why yes, yes it does. Trust me on that. I have to imagine that we're squeezing out all the books we can before a presumably slow Christmas week. Anyway, let's talk about this week with a few QUICK HITS.

Avengers 24.NOW
That's right, All-New Marvel NOW is starting and I don't know why we have to name our new-brandings like that. I felt ridiculous enough all year saying "Marvel NOW!" (with or without exclamation point, that was never cleared up) and now I have this hyphenated mash-up of words that serve only to remind me of ALL-NEW X-MEN, a series I do not care for. ANYWAY, this is the first AVENGERS issue post-INFINITY and, if you needed more reasons to check it out, comes with a Daniel Acuña poster exhibiting EVERY AVENGER.

Captain America 14
Cap is up against Nuke after a couple issues building to it! Can he stop the far more deranged and probably more powerful super-soldier? Also, what is happening in that poor guy's mind (in this case, "poor guy" can apply to either Nuke or Cap)?

Captain America Living Legend 4
This mini-series wraps after a pretty exciting and successful run. Excited to see just where it's going to go. Oh yes, and Cap is a monster as we start issue four. THESE THINGS HAPPEN SOMETIMES.

Marvel Knights Hulk 1
The two currently running MARVEL KNIGHTS series (SPIDER-MAN and X-MEN) are both impressive in their own ways, featuring really stand-out and unique art to go along with a story that I would deem "compelling enough." Interested to see where MARVEL KNIGHTS HULK will fit in, which I think leaves room for a lot of interesting art but who I also find to be an often-uninteresting character. In the right hands, he's amazing. In the wrong ones (which I tend to see more often) he's the same story over and over and I do not care. Let's find out where this one falls TOGETHER.

Thunderbolts 19
Maybe my favorite cover of the week. The Thunderbolts are on a road-trip! I've really liked this series as it turned the corner from readable with Daniel Way to immensely enjoyable with Charles Soule. I'm sad Jefte Palo seems to have moved on but I do like Gabriel Walta and I think the writing has been more than sharp enough to stand with an art change. Very interested to see where this is going now that Soule will move on to his first non-event-related story.

This week's picks!

Not a bad week for comics, you guys! I will admit to not being particularly thrilled for the comics that were coming out this week; it feels like it had been long enough since some of my most anticipated books (INFINITY, NEW AVENGERS, HAWKEYE, YOUNG AVENGERS, etc) had last come out that we'd have a fuller slate for this week but instead we got a pretty barebones week which nonetheless managed to pull out some really good books.

Captain America Living Legend 3

I've liked this series a great deal but this one still only barely managed to edge out MARVEL KNIGHTS: X-MEN and AVENGERS ARENA for one of the top spots this week. That's right, there were five books (at least) worthy of this list this week. Cap makes the cut here because I'm a sucker for book with strong character moments and choices and for books that thematically plant seeds then bring them to harvest successfully. In this case, as I've said so many times, Andy Diggle has made it clear that the background characters, while sometimes still being less important to the plot, are real characters, people who would probably go home to their families at night if they survived the day (they tend not to). The level of care Diggle puts into that has been great and it reminds me of Kelly Sue DeConnick's CAPTAIN MARVEL, which spread little lines of dialogue to establish more minor characters in Carol's life throughout the early books to be picked up on later, confirming that Carol had a real connection to these people and that we'd care if they were threatened. Diggle's done fine work with this mini and it's heading to an interesting place.

Deadpool 19

Another time DEADPOOL has made the cut after starting this series on my absolute most hated list. I don't take back what I said about early DEADPOOL issues in this volume but I'm extremely happy to see that it's soared over all of that. This arc has had a nice emotional bent to it for Deadpool which could probably have felt extremely heavy-handed and weak but managed to pretty regularly stay away from that. On top of it, Posehn and Duggan again brought out other major characters from the Marvel Universe and wrote them well. Even when I wasn't liking the series, I did like a lot of the characterizations for other Marvel staples. Shalvey and Bellaire really complete this book and make it something definitely worth picking up, a nicely written and characterized book with truly gorgeous and fitting art. There's a lot of really cool stuff in here both on the writing end and on the art end and it's a pretty complete book for it.

Savage Wolverine 11

Jock's writing debut with Marvel is a success as his SAVAGE WOLVERINE arc comes to a close and gives us a nice, complete-enough story to really sink our teeth into. I talked in my review about how it doesn't really clear up who specifically it is that brought Wolverine here, how they captured him, where this place is, and who is trying so desperately to recreate him, but, in truth, I'm not sure that any of that would have improved this book. It's a complete story and it works particularly well for a character like Wolverine, who is so used to not knowing huge swaths of his own history and who is also pretty used to people trying to experiment on him and recreate him. So we find Wolverine landing on this planet and just kind of making do with what he knows and what he can do. On top of all that and on top of the classic Wolverine violence and rage we see at the forefront here, we get to see the somewhat softer side of Wolverine, the side that almost instantly takes to Kouen and who understands what's going to happen to him and understands the decision Kouen makes to destroy his test-tube brothers before they can suffer through what he's going to suffer through even when Wolverine himself couldn't bring himself to do it. Gorgeous art, nice story, good characterization, can't ask for anything more. Oh, and I just realized I picked a book by Jock and a book by Andy Diggle in the same week. So exciting!


Coolest art decision

I absolutely love this little sequence. In DEADPOOL 19, Deadpool and Wolverine attempt to enter Butler's little fortress while Captain America goes to stand guard topside and cover them from the should-be-advancing North Korean army. We haven't seen Cap since the first page or so of the issue but then, about ten pages in, a clearly-nervous Butler bursts out asking where the North Korean army is and why it hasn't stopped Deadpool's team yet. Smash cut to Cap standing in front of the collected army (obviously not at full force but full enough), viewed from the binoculars of an NK soldier, standing perfectly upright, shield behind his back. Not only is it a pretty great Cap, looking very much like the soldier we know and love, he's standing, waiting for an entire army, with his shield behind his back. Awesome, you guys.

Avengers Arena 17, Captain America Living Legend 3, Thor: God of Thunder 15

Avengers Arena 17
Hopeless (w) and Walker and Gorder (a) and Beaulieu (c)

We're one issue away from the end of Avengers Arena and the stakes have never been higher, which is saying a lot for a series which started with a guy with a metal exoskeleton exploding. The survivors are a day away from the final day of Murder World and tensions are running high. X-23 is still tearing through Hazmat, her consciousness blacked out from the trigger scent. Anachronism saves Hazmat by attacking X-23, who he blames for killing Nara. Reptil attacks Anachronism. Nico is trying to kill Cullen, knowing that, with the ring off, he's the strongest one left and Darkhawk Chase is watching her back. Cammi takes down Chase swiftly and rips the amulet from his chest, becoming Darkhawk herself and stopping Nico from killing Cullen. Meanwhile, below the surface, Arcade used Chris Powell's lingering sickness from stasis as a chance to escape. Death Locket and Chris go to get some water, leaving Katy to hack Arcade's system and shut down the game, which she will do as a pragmatist wanting to leave the island, despite her killer attributes. Unfortunately, Death Locket and Chris leave her alone long enough for Arcade to chime back in and convince Katy that she can be the winner of all of this and the video footage he has and will release will show her as the strong survivor of the games, not as the villain who killed without remorse. It's too tempting for her and she locks Tim out, allowing the games to continue. The issue ends with Hazmat going critical.

This is a series that has had absolutely no downtime since maybe the first few issues, when we were still getting to know our competitors (geez, remember Kid Briton? That was something). Even then, there was plenty going on in terms of the events on the island and the character-building. It's no surprise, then, that the last couple of issues would come down to almost non-stop action and compelling character moments. Everything this series has asked boils down to these last couple of decisions. What is the cost of survival in this world? What are the ramifications of being the bad guy? How do you play a game that relies on your worst side coming out? Finally, as an audience, who are you rooting for? One of the most impressive things Hopeless has done has been to make every character compelling and sympathetic. There's not really anyone left I don't want to survive. There are people who I had no knowledge of previously and who are going to be the biggest losses if they die. Granted, we're mostly down to previously known characters (mainstays like X-23 and our Runaways) but there are still a handful of Hopeless' creations and people who Hopeless has developed over the course of this series to a point that they're as or more compelling than anyone else out there. Exciting times and nerve-wracking times as we head to our final issue.

Captain America Living Legend 3
Diggle and Granov (s) and Diggle and Robson (w) and Alessio (a and c)

Volkov has been locked underground in a Russian facility since his return from space, where he seemed to have taken on a passenger, some sort of alien comprised of dark matter that wreaks havoc with human minds. In the past, it led to the death of nearly everyone in the Russian facility, encouraging them to kill themselves even if it was against their own will. The facility was sealed off and a soldier on the premises at the time, Gridenko, is now a colonel with the Russian army, tasked with bringing a squad back there and recovering the Deus project and, if possible, Volkov. He is, understandably, not thrilled with the assignment and says so to the Minister of Science, who has organized the mission. As soon as they get on site, other soldiers start transforming into the metal-like entities shown attack Cap and Doctor Fox at the end of last issue. The Russians' bullets have no effect but Cap shows up and his shield instantly destroys the enemies. After some half-hearted attempts to arrest Cap and Fox, Gridenko and his men relate the history of Volkov and the area. Fox realizes that the vibranium in the shield must be interfering with the dark matter and is effectively what's keeping them all human now. The team goes to destroy the Deus project but the one of the metal beings inside manages to evade the thrown shield, allowing it to sail out past him, leaving the group unprotected. The issue ends as Cap begins to transform.

Another solid and interesting issue as the plot begins to take shape and some questions start to get answered. There's a shift here that's leading the threat from something more scientific to something more science fiction, which is a neat little shift with a kind of classic science fiction set-up. My constant compliment of this series has been the way it's seamlessly developed background characters into real people with fully-fledged lives that you assume they'd go home to if they survived beyond their one line of dialogue (okay, very few of them do that). It continues and it kind of all pays off here as Gridenko is rather the ultimate example of someone developed through quick lines of dialogue and who then promptly went on to be a developed and necessary character. After seeing him for a page or so in 1973, we have a real and useful sense of who he is as we come to the present day. Frankly, I felt good for him because he was a colonel now! That dude worked at it! Way to go, Gridenko, I was rooting for you. It's things like that which have really cemented the series for me and made it something unique and enjoyable. Excited to go into the last issue of this one.

Thor: God of Thunder 15
Aaron (w) and Garney (a) and Svorcina (c)

Malekith is still running rampant through the nine realms, his legion always a step ahead of Thor and his League. They've managed to catch up and end a few of the dark elves following Malekith but by and large, the mission is failing at every turn. Thor takes a time out to try to get his team to work more favorably together by making everyone go an Alfheim tavern and bond while he makes out with Waziria, the dark elf on their team. The bonding seems to work at least a little and the team sets out for Jotunheim, land of the giants, to find Malekith chasing the other hiding dark elves. The fight is going well until Malekith launches himself into the mouth of the League of Realms' giant Oggy, killing him from the inside out. As Thor swears revenge, the team is dismayed to find that Malekith has managed to find favor with the dreaded frost giants of Jotunheim, adding considerable might to their side.

I'm a little torn on this arc as yet. On the one hand, I'm a little cynical from the get-go because I tend to roll my eyes a little at obvious sales ploys. I think this is a pretty good story and one that differs enough from Thor: The Dark World to justify its telling. However, it's hard to separate it from the fact that a major motion picture starring Malekith just came out and this is a clear "get the fans of the movie to buy the comic" move. I can't complain too much about that, though; comics are, after all, always a business and you do what it takes to survive. On top of that, this Malekith is a far different one than the one in the movie, who hates everybody and hardly wants to talk about his feelings. The comic Malekith is quite the chatterbox, more crazy than serious. Also, while I find the plot engaging and interesting, it's hard not to shrug a little at the League of Realms, which seems like a cliché at best and a silly conceit at worst. It's not so unbearable or anything that it's not worth reading but it rather seems to weaken a story that was working previously. Why the Congress of Worlds decided that they needed to present a united front to the realms against what is unquestionably a menace in this universe is beyond me. I would get the League if this was a more delicate issue and the realms needed to show how vast their support was but here, it feels like this is a guy whose downfall everyone benefits from. Now it just feels like a way to show us there are different realms and those realms don't really like each other but what an unusual foe who would bind these guys! I don't necessarily hate the characters (I also don't necessarily love them - it's hard not to seem them all as pretty stereotypical characters, despite their fantasy origins) but I think the idea that they have to be teamed up weakens the premise of the book, which is otherwise pretty strong. I have, you guys, some conflicting emotions about this story.

Comics this week

Similar week to last week in terms of number of books out but a little different in terms of books I'm super excited about. There are enough, though, and certainly enough that fit the bill of "important to the line" to make the picks pretty easy. So let's get at (h)it. QUICK HITS.

Avengers Arena 17
We are rapidly approaching the end of AVENGERS ARENA, unquestionably the biggest surprise of the year for me. Sad to see this one ending but glad to see that it will end on Hopeless' terms and not continue. This was never meant to be one that lasted so long and it'll be nice to see where it takes us. The last issue brought us some major fights among the largest group of survivors while our once-villains of the series, Death Locket and Apex, and believed-dead Darkhawk find themselves face-to-face with a powerless Arcade. EXCITING TIMES AHEAD.

Captain America Living Legend 3
I'm still pretty into this book, you guys. I figure we'll find out a bit more about our villain in this coming issue, particularly as Cap gets closer and closer to discovering him and, presumably, recognizing who he is. I like the plot and the art of this series and I've been a big fan of the characterization of just about everyone we've seen, somehow most notably in the people who have one line. It makes a difference as a reader and it's coming across well.

Deadpool 19
I have been rather in favor of this arc, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," and I think it's helped to define this series better than any arc prior. At least to define it in a positive way. At least for me. Whatever. Anyway, I think the way the creative team sticks the landing will show us a lot about the way this book will carry on. I'm interested to see it.

Marvel Knights X-Men 1
Another new Marvel Knights book which means another chance for Marvel to reestablish their Marvel Knights line. This one will be led by Brahm Revel (new to Marvel) and he's planning to take this small X-team (seemingly consisting, at the start, of just Wolverine, Kitty, and Rogue) on a bit of a darker adventure. Like I said when MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN 1 came out a few weeks back, this is an important book to establish how the new MK line differs itself from the main X-Men series (plural). It would be hard not to go darker than those books, but I'm happy to see this one will still.

Thor: God of Thunder 15
I'm just on a Thor high, okay guys? It'll probably be neat!

This week's picks

Did you guys remember that Infinity and Avengers came out this week? I KNOW, it feels like it was so long ago but it was just this week. Well geez, that might complicate some things, right? Let's mix it up a bit though this week, huh? Like, kind of mix it up. Not mix it up so much from my regular picks that I'm going crazy and picking Battle of the Atom or something like that, I'm still me. But let's leave both Infinity and Avengers off this list. Save 'em up for the finale.

Captain America Living Legend 2

I really like the approach on this book. It's a book about Captain America but it kind of feels like it's only tangentially about Cap. You can go a few ways in a mini-series. Your time is limited so you kind of have to hit your points hard and fast. Is this a story-heavy series? Is it a character-revealing series? You can still absolutely make it both, but it's going to find you pressed for time. I'd say Diggle is doing a fantastic job making it about both character and story without having to push too hard in either direction. Cap has had some major character arcs through his existence but, by and large, Captain America is the most unchanged character in the Marvel Universe through his existence and that's intentional. He's the symbol of all things morally right. As such, there's not a huge need to explain his character here so we're seeing little facets of his personality mixed with the personality of those around him and we're seeing the story in bloom. It's well-approached and everyone really comes off as a full-fledged character because of it.

Scarlet Spider 23

Uhh, spoilers, I guess

Scarlet Spider was in a competition with Superior Spider-Man to make the cut this week (both of them edging out Infinity, Avengers, and Cataclysm) and ultimately won out because of its clear purpose. If Spider-Man had won, it would have been because of the "dear god" factor of his fight with Black Cat. The ideas and the character win the day though with Scarlet Spider as we see Kaine officially in a position where he's done killing people, a pretty recent decision, and immediately being forced to kill or watching his friends die. His decision and his desire to be a hero are respectable but his friends are still torn on it as, at current, it directly impacts them. This issue puts Kaine in a place where making the right decision suddenly feels like the wrong decision and his supporting cast doesn't know what he should have done either, though at least Wally has an idea about it. Really solid issue, just another one to add to the bank.

Ultimate X-Men 33

I continue to really like this series, a series that Marvel editor Tom Brevoort called a "sleeper title" on his rather fascinating Tumblr. As far as I'm concerned (and I've said this before but whatever, I'll keep saying it), this book does pacing better than any book out there. Pacing is so hugely important and, though it's a somewhat intangible thing, such a make-or-break factor of the way a book comes across and it's so easy to drop it. Some of my least favorite issues of books from this past year have been paced ridiculously slowly, to the point where I'd end up feeling exhausted by the book and look to see that I was, somehow, only on page 10 or 12. Ultimate X-Men has never felt that way and, as a series, has never really let an arc overstay its welcome. This is hands-down the best book coming out of the Ultimate Universe right now and probably lands somewhere in the top five, definitely top ten from Marvel as a whole, who is putting out a slew of fantastic books. What's more impressive about that statement is that this series was one of my top ten series of 2012 as well so it's not like this is a new phenomenon, this is just a book that has been churning out great issues throughout its run.

Avengers AI 5, Captain America Living Legend 2

Avengers AI 5
Humphries (w) and Schiti (a) and D'Armata (c)

After Dimitrios' attack on Washington, AI fears are at an all-time high, making it considerably more difficult for Vision and Alexis to protect the populace and keep order. Making it slightly more easy, though, is that Alexis is successfully cutting her way through Dimitrios' encryptions that kept her memories sealed off from her, giving her a new purpose: she is a protector of all types of life. She also seems to have gained some sort of limited precognition, which she uses to stop an unstable man from blowing up a bank after the bank lost everyone's money in Dimitrios' attack. Back at home, Pym has sealed himself away in his lab to cope with his own bipolar disorder, recognizing (after thorough charting) that he's about to hit a downswing. Monica Chang isn't thrilled with the decision and makes her frustrations clear as she reveals that Victor, with his seemingly dying breath, protected the server's black box but only Pym can actually access it. Meanwhile, Doombot is attempting to revive Victor, feeling that Pym hasn't done enough. Victor's consciousness, on the other hand, has found itself in the Diamond.

I think the pieces are here for a substantial book but right now it's kind of circling around a point. I'm not exactly sure about what's making the book feel uncomfortable right now but something isn't quite clicking. It might be the vagueness of the enemy or the abruptness of the team; we're kind of used to teams needing to build together but, in a day and age where the market is so filled with content, books don't have as much of a chance to build, forcing those "coming together" kinds of arcs to be too short or too staged. I think Humphries has done a pretty good job trying to pull something together for that; everyone here still feels like (with maybe the exception of the mysterious Alexis) he or she has his or her own voice, even in how early we still are in the series. I'd like to see that developed a little further. Another worry is that every book these days, again because there are so many, has to start with a bang or else you won't get any sort of market share, or at least that's how it feels. Therefore, this threat has to be big but it also has to be meaningful and it also has to be beatable by this ragtag team. That's a lot of constraints to put on a first arc, let alone the need to build a team and a theme and what not. I think this book will have to find its legs soon or risk waiting too long.

Captain America Living Legend 2
Diggle and Granov (s) Diggle (w) and Alessio (a and c)

Cap has been sent to Russia to find the crashed DEUS Project and any survivors of the crash. He manages to get there in time to find Dr. Lauren Fox but worries that the Russians must be hot on their trail. She tells him what happened in space and they speculate that maybe the Russians have a little less to do with this than it would appear, given that the area where DEUS was brought down doesn't seem to be constantly patrolled already. The Russians are reactive here, not proactive. There's also a bit of a moral question as Cap informs Fox that her attempt at finding clean, renewable energy has been secretly bankrolled by the Department of Defense, who clearly intend to weaponize whatever she finds. She's mad about it and indicts Cap too, saying that the serum that created him could have been used for peace, not soldiers. They don't really have time to argue, though, as they're attacked by what seems to have been a Russian patrol at some point but is now a mess of metal controlled by some unseen force. Of course, that would be Volkov, eagerly awaiting Cap's return to Russia.

Another neat little issue (though Granov doesn't provide the art for this one, as I had previously assumed; Alessio still does a fantastic job, keeping with the feel of the book Granov had created while clearly making the art his own) that, again, impressive goes out of its way to characterize people who aren't our main characters. In fact, again they're Russian and they die almost immediately after their characterization. I know, that seems like a small thing to bring up, especially to lead an analysis paragraph, but it's really not. It both makes it feel like a real situation (not just comic book villains everywhere, there are real people really dying as a result of...okay, as a result of the comic book villain) and it makes me feel better as an American that there is a depiction of normal Russians as just people. Diggle's not American, sure, but it's still nice to see. Like, all of our war games that make, you know, untold billions of dollars seem to feature Russians as the enemy these days because we still think maybe we can win the Cold War or something (more like the COD War, am I right? Classic) and it's honestly a little uncomfortable. Comics (good ones, anyway) tend to be pretty good about spreading the right message in these sorts of situations; there's a Captain America book from just after 9-11 that depicted Americans surrounding an innocent Middle Eastern man before Cap steps in. The Middle Eastern man comes off looking great and the Americans look like jerks which was a pretty big statement for a country that wanted nothing more than war. Anyway, getting a little off-topic, I didn't mean for this point to carry on throughout the whole paragraph. I guess I can let it do that because Diggle's a solid writer and he's writing a good Cap and a good story, leaving me with time to talk about the little things instead of talking about what doesn't feel right. Sure the obvious antagonist is still a Russian and, perhaps, a more Russia-obssessed Russian, but Diggle has gone out of his way to make sure we know that he is not your typical Russian. And it makes a difference.

Comics this week

Plenty of big books out this week. But which ones are the BIGGEST? I don't really know. Well, okay, I have some ideas. I usually do. QUICK HITS.

Avengers 22
Infinity presses on in two major books this week, Avengers 22 and Infinity 5 (SPOILERS: guess what other book is on this list). We're rapidly reaching the end of this big event and I'm certainly excited to see how it plays out. Look for a focus on the Builders' story in this one, hot off the heels of what was, essentially, the defeat of the Builders themselves.

Captain America Living Legend 2
I really liked the first issue of this mini-series, penned by Andy Diggle and drawn wonderfully by Adi Granov. There's a solid characterization of both Cap and some of the Russians we saw the first time out. Downside, of course, is that we won't see most of those Russians this time out. Plus side is that it was still good writing and good characterization of clearly non-essential characters. That should give some encouragement going into issue two.

Infinity 5
I said pretty much what I needed to say up above, right? Except, of course, to note that this will give us more information about everything that's happening throughout the event, not just the events up in space. I'm really liking this event and I hope to see it go out strong. A lot of events lately have gotten complaints about slowing down in the middle. I don't think this one really has but I'd hate to see it stagnate now.

Scarlet Spider 23
We're getting close to the end of Scarlet Spider (sad, and so close to losing Venom. Where are our non-Spider-Man Spider-Man books going?) and I'm excited to see how this all goes down. I thought the last issue was pretty powerful, showing Kaine, despite the urging of Prey and the intense situation, fighting back against Kraven without killing. Of course, the twist now is that Kraven wants to be dead, so, you know, tricky.

Ultimate X-Men 33
This spot was almost given to Battle of the Atom 2 because I'm that excited for that event to be over, but, ultimately, I'm still not looking forward to actually reading that book. This one, though, I'm very much looking forward to. This continues to be one of the strongest books out there and the strongest Ultimate Universe book right now, maybe ever. Very strong story, great characters, incredible pacing, smart writing, good art, just a very good book all around. Every arc feels like an event without the downsides that tend to come with events.

This week's picks

Kind of a short week for new books (I still feel like I missed one or two out there. Not counting the All-New X-Men special because I certainly didn't miss that one). Still, short week didn't mean there weren't standouts. LET'S GET TO IT, FRIENDS.

Captain America Living Legend 1

I like where this one is going and I'm excited to see it through. The first issue, with rather limited facetime for Cap, brought us solid characterization for the series antagonist and even a good amount for the series protagonist. On top of that, I mentioned in my review mostly seeing Adi Granov's work on covers and how nice it is to be seeing him on interiors. That one hundred percent still stands and, now that I've had a little bit of space from my review, may even be a stronger plus for this book than it was before. It's just really astounding art, very majestic. I've said before (during the first arc of Daredevil Dark Nights) that it's almost cheating putting this much snow on the ground in a comic because snow, when you're not standing in it, is really absurdly lovely. That happens a bit here but it's not as much the focal point here as it was in Dark Nights. It's just a lovely backdrop for truly phenomenal art. Good stuff, you guys.

Marvel Knights Spider-Man 1

This book, I'd say, gets the benefit of a rather slow week. Even typical standout Iron Man had less of a showing this week as the hero/villain climax was mostly resolved last issue, putting Tony up against a ticking clock for half of the issue and putting him up against a birthday party for the second half. That's not to demean this book; it still earned its spot over Iron Man and Hunger and Mighty Avengers. However, this is definitely one that will need to stick the landing in the second issue to push this series from definitely interesting to definitely good. The worry with books that are more experimental is that they don't necessarily have anything hiding behind the surprising look and feel of the book. On the plus side, Rudy's art is phenomenal so even if this does end up thinning out with ideas, we'll have to look forward to. In truth (and with endless optimism), I'm not overly worried about it not pulling its weight. I think it's going into a good spot. Also really encouraging on Marvel's part that two of my top picks this week are the first issue of a new series. Constantly moving in the right direction (except in certain X-related fields, perhaps).

Superior Foes of Spider-Man 4

This one gets the call because of how strangely fun it is. This book has been moving for that tone throughout but I really felt like it hit here. The story is still advancing (albeit in its own time) but we're more concerned with the characters in this series than we are with the story. That's a risky move to pull in a new comic, especially one that focuses on a character we haven't really examined before. It's not Spider-Man, who we all know pretty inside and out and who can sell a book even if it's just about his personality (though don't be mistaken, the fact that "Spider-Man" is in the title is one hundred percent Marvel showing that they know what they're doing). Now that it's spent a few issues developing character and story, it can really delve into those characters and their relationships, a little more secure in their resolve. Really solid, really fun issue with an exciting little twist at the end. It steals the "fun" spotlight from Thunderbolts this week, which, as the last two T-Bolts issues have proven, is not an easy thing to do.

Mighty Avengers 2, Iron Man 16, Captain America Living Legend 1

Mighty Avengers 2
Ewing (w) and Land and Leisten (a) and D'Armata (c)

Proxima Midnight's attack is in full swing and is already devastating the Mighty Avengers. She sends a light spear after Spectrum which knocks her completely out of the fight. Proxima promises that the spear's poison will kill her, even after it's been removed. She knocks Cage down too as she prepares to finish the team off. An uprising from the nearby civilians inspires Cage back to his feet and fighting harder than ever. He holds his own against Proxima for a bit until Thanos projects his image over the city, pulling Proxima out. She leaves and the team checks in with the possibly dying Spectrum. Meanwhile, Blue Marvel has been monitoring the whole situation, with some motivation from the Watcher, and takes off as Doctor Strange, under the influence of the Ebony Maw, summons Shuma-Gorath.

Plenty going on as the series kicks off. On top of the cast of characters we already had, we now get a surprise visit from Blue Marvel and Kaluu, Stranger's master in black magic. The stakes are pretty high, as anyone reading any part of Infinity can tell you. It's reflected here pretty accurately as Proxima Midnight's attack is more than powerful enough to knock out the two strongest members of the team (depending on who the Spider Hero is). Blue Marvel has a nice scene as he explains why he's removed himself from the world as far as Blue Marvel goes, preferring to monitor the world from his own surveillance station. His character comes out pretty strong as he talks casually with Uatu (well, "talks with" is a little strong as it's a pretty one-sided conversation) and he figures out the problems pretty well. It's a strong showing for him and it's simultaneously an interesting and nice move to throw him in with this team. Solid issue with plenty of new characters and ideas while continuing where we left off, all without being overwhelming in any real way.

Iron Man 16
Gillen (w) and Pagulayan and Hanna (a) and Guru eFX (c)

The Godkiller is withdrawing into its own dimension, 451 is shutting himself down and deleting his databases, and Tony is running out of options. He attempts to hack into 451's programming to find the codes he needs to get out but even his tech can't make that happen fast enough. In a quick decision, he flies the inert 451 to Death's Head's ship which he suspects might be based on 451's tech, in payment for his tracking Tony down. He's right and manages to hack 451 successfully and break out of the Godkiller just in the nick of time. He picks up his former life again, jumping back in with the Guardians for a few months (we flash forward to three months after the 451 saga and Tony is leaving the Guardians) before returning home. Unbeknownst to anyone else, he's kept 451. He arrives home to find that Pepper (the real one, not the computer) has a new fiancee and that some new research he's done has dredged up some results on his parents.

We get a nice ticking clock finale to what has been an overall great arc. In a way, this ending was a little bit of a letdown if only because it pit Tony against 451 again, after a fashion, but it was a 451 who was no longer functioning. 451 was a fantastic villain in so many ways and it's a little sad that the end of his run (for now, obviously) has him silent. Still, I think it's the best way for it to end. I know, this sounds like I'm talking in circles (because I am) but I think I'm getting to a point. First and foremost, I absolutely loved the turn 451 took in that last issue and I think it's far stronger than having him in a massive gunfight with Tony (which, you know, also happened). It's just a little sad because you'd like to see him battling against Tony. But you also don't. You know how it is, right guys? Look, 451's a great villain, is what it comes down to. I want to see more of him and I'm glad to know that I likely will, in some form or another. In addition, 451 had a nice little narrative at the beginning to show his stance again. It seems more truthful within the narrative. Excited to see where this all goes.

Captain America Living Legend 1
Diggle (w) and Granov (a and c)

Flashback to the final days of WWII: America and Russia are still allies but they're starting to run out of common enemy as Germany begins to collapse. A Russian unit has been sent to find and extract a German rocket scientist from a bunker to help Russia as the world starts to progress towards rocket-based weapons and space exploration. Sergeant Volkov, the sergeant leading the unit (with his captain too injured and wishing not to go forward with the mission), is pretty die-hard pulling for Russia, knowing that the alliance between America and Russia is set to break down and knowing that Russia needs to get its edge now. Of course, as they start getting overwhelmed by the German troop in front of them (led by a Panzer), Captain America shows up and pretty much singlehandedly gets the Germans to surrender. As he and Volkov discuss the fate of the German rocket scientist, a stray Nazi shoots Volkov. We find, flashing forward to 1968, that Cap managed to save Volkov, who is now going to be the first man to walk on the moon on behalf of Russia. Flash forward to today as American scientists in orbit are deploying a new technology to try to convert dark energy to a sustainable energy for Earth's use. The space station breaks down as it overloads, with the station transforming into some sort of monstrosity and pulling the scientists in. The space station breaks through orbit and ends up in Russia, acting like it's being pulled that way. One word got through SHIELD's monitoring of the situation: Volkov.

It's a really solid first issue for this mini-series and it's a great character-builder for Cap (who doesn't need a ton of building here, just some reinforcing and some direction as to which Cap we'll be seeing here) and for Volkov, who acts strictly on the behalf of mother Russia at all times. Cap is strong as ever, throwing his shield through the Panzer, in fact. In truth, Cap isn't really the focus of this book as we kick off; again, where we know Cap's somewhat unflinching character and where he stands on most issues, we don't need to see a ton of him to set the tone. Volkov is extremely important to characterize here and Diggle makes sure he gets the right amount of attention. The exchange between Volkov's captain and Volkov is a fantastic characterization of each; I don't anticipate seeing the captain again but he acts as a great stand-in for the opinion of a more human person, someone who would rather Volkov go and pursue his own life rather than commit suicide in an attack against a much stronger force. Solid characters, intriguing plot, plenty to look forward to with this one. Great art, too. I've mostly seen Granov on covers to this point; it's nice to see him on interiors in a book I'm already liking.

Comics this week

Very interesting week as I am bereft of any of my normal pre-game picks this week. That's right, no New/Young/Uncanny Avengers, no X-Men Legacy, no Captains Marvel nor America, no Hawkeye (still), no Daredevil, etc. So what do I pick on a week when the books are a little different? Well, still Iron Man, right?

Captain America Living Legend 1
Andy Diggle returns to the Marvel Universe for the first time since Shadowland and with him, he brings a top-secret Captain America mission. I like Diggle a lot and found Shadowland and the trek up to it pretty compelling (even if I found it dragging at points) and, of course, I love me some Captain America action. This is one I've known about for a while because Diggle has mentioned it on Twitter a fair amount and I'm interested to see what it's leading us to.

Fantomex MAX 1
Keen-eyed readers of this blog know that I love Fantomex. They may also know I go back and forth on MAX titles. Some are really good and are, perhaps, deserving of the MAX line. Fantomex seems like a character worthy of some MAX action (sex and violence are kind of both in his wheelhouse) and I'm looking forward to simply having a book, even if it's not set in the 616 as it is with so many of the MAX stories, dedicated to Fantomex. Should be a really good time.

Iron Man 16
Well okay, this is normally in my picks and it's coming out this week but really, it's still just one of five. I really love this series and I think each issue has managed to pull an even more emotional punch than the last. Of course, this storyline is winding to a close after a solid ten or so issues (more or less) dedicated to it. It's just as intriguing to see the finish as it was to get the beginning and, quite frankly, the middle. There's been a ton happening to the armored avengers and I'm excited to see what it all leads to, both in the immediate and in the grand scheme of things.

Marvel Knights Spider-Man 1
Unlike with Captain America Living Legend, I had no idea what this was until I looked over the new list of comics for the week. Real talk: I still am not 100% convinced it's a book I should be reviewing. For example, I don't review the "Marvel Universe" branded books that correlate to the cartoons or anything (as much as I loved Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes). I'm pretty sure this isn't going to be that but it's also been a long time since a true Marvel Knights book came out so I'm a little surprised if it's that idea again. Marvel Knights is kind of in the mid-range between the regular Marvel Universe and the MAX series, largely done away with because mainstream comics have gotten a bit edgier so there's less gap there. The teaser, though, calls Spidey "the Amazing Spider-Man" so I'm hoping we see a brief glimmer of Peter again.

Thunderbolts 16
I've really, really enjoyed this book since Charles Soule and Jeffte Palo took over on it. The tone has unquestionably changed and I think it's for the better. On top of that, the art and the writing seem in sync and the story for this Infinity tie-in has been both compelling and removed enough from Infinity, so far, that it doesn't feel like it's being forced on us. This issue is more likely to deal with the Infinity related stuff (just as last issue had a little more to do with it than the issue before that) but it's eased its way in just right so it feels like their true mission really is being interrupted by this, not that everything is ending and HEY, this is what the T-Bolts are doing. Really neat stuff so far, very much looking forward to this one.