Comics this week

Plenty of 'em out there. This is one of those weeks where I have to believe there's something for everyone because I'm excited about plenty of books, I'm dreading plenty of books, and I'm hitting just about everywhere in the middle on plenty of books. As is the aim of this weekly pre-game post, though, let's hit the ones I'm excited about instead of the others.

Fantastic Four 1
Another Wednesday, another number one. This FANTASTIC FOUR comes to us from James Robinson and Leonard Kirk, both of whom have plenty of history in comics behind them and both of whom are apparently dedicated to uprooting the F4 and shaking things up a bit. This new series has promised to find all sorts of twists and turns for the F4 (including new red costumes). Will it be enough to make them just a tad less boring? We'll all have to see, starting this week in FANTASTIC FOUR 1.

Hawkeye 15
The never not-great HAWKEYE returns as we take a trip back in time from last outing's spectacular issue 16 to issue 15, the book time forgot. Guys, look, don't be confused by this, as far as I know Clint and Barney aren't going back in time (though I'm sure I'll mention it in my full review if they do) I'm just saying that 16 came out before 15 and, look, it's not that great a joke anyway and I wish you guys wouldn't look this deep into it, okay? ANYWAY, back to Clint and Barney and all the drama of New York and the tracksuit Draculas and the Clown! Should be fun to see what's going on with the original Hawkeye after a few months, albeit delightful ones, with Katey-Kate.

Secret Avengers 16
This one very nearly didn't make this list. It's the final issue of this volume of SECRET AVENGERS before it gets an immediate reboot which means it likely warrants some attention here as there could be big changes or big questions answered (largely about what's happening with Mockingbird). Still, though, this has been a book that's often seemed very muddled and very unfocused, one that I was so very excited about at its launch if just for the team it promised to assemble before delving into a story of mind control and mind wipes and basically just being a rather unimpressive black ops team in a Marvel Universe where there are already several far better examples of black ops teams. I guess we'll see if there are any differences between this volume and the next.

Thunderbolts 22
One of the most consistently fun books over at Marvel will likely have its own increased action and drama as Elektra and Punisher, the two least powered people on the T-Bolts, square off against Mercy, the unbelievably powerful killing machine while the rest of the team has to try to kill Guido to live up to their new contract with Mephisto, their actual deal with the devil. Plus, what was Deadpool's addendum to the contract? It would just be nice to know, you know?

Uncanny Avengers 17
Remender's long-game continues as I don't even really know what to say about this issue. There are so many things going on right now that 17 could focus on any number of plots or characters and I'd STILL deem it entertaining. Will we see what's happening with the mutants on the arc? Will we discover if anyone actually lived, as comic book characters are so wont to do, after the events of UA 14? Will we focus on Thor squaring off against Exitar and/or a Jarnbjorn wielding Eimin? Will we see Wasp fighting...whoever it was she was fighting last time? I want to say Grim Reaper? LOOK, there are plenty of things happening, is what I'm saying. Should be fun. Or tense. Likely very tense.