Stokoe
All-New Doop 4
Milligan (w) and Santagati and Lafuente (a) and L. Allred (c) and Cowles (l)
There's a good deal of Doop backstory as he and his mother argue, with Doop recalling his single mother and her abuse of him in the wake of her husband's departure. He remembers his believed origin, created by filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, and his growth as a documentary filmmaker and eventual cameraman for X-Statix. Finally, though, his mother reveals their deep secret, the one Raze threatened to exploit: he wasn't actually created by Ingmar Bergman. Now, with Doop panicking and exploding through the margins with reverberations felt in the real world, Wolverine goes to talk to Doop's mother himself. I'm beginning to get the feeling that this book isn't for me, you guys. Total Score: 2/5
All-New Invaders 8
J. Robinson (w) and Pugh (a) and Guru eFX (c) and Petit (l)
Human Torch is mad with SHIELD for the perceived slight of having a robot psychiatrist evaluate him and then attack him only to have Coulson explain that it wasn't them, that Malloy was some sort of half-tech, half-alien combo not under their employ. Satisfied, Hammond moves on to his next mission, to rescue the kidnapped Toro, whose powers weren't mutant after all, but latent Inhuman powers so he actually cocooned and was kidnapped during INHUMANITY. The report comes in from an informant who turns out to be Winter Soldier and Torch and Namor meet up with him outside a German base. They create a distraction while Bucky goes in quiet to try to find Toro. However, the distraction starts to go poorly when it turns out the base is protected by an army of Deathloks. There's something like an interesting story here but it's still handcuffed by stilted writing that over explains EVERYTHING (except how you could have Inhuman powers, particularly to the extent Toro has had them, without ever being exposed to the Terrigen Mists, am I right, guys?) and switches tone so rapidly ("I'm annoyed about the robot thing and NOW I'M MAD ABOUT THE ROBOT THING and now I'm calm because it was just a giant security breach for the world's biggest defense agency and not an insult"). Still hate to say that I do not like this book. Total Score: 2/5
All-New Ultimates 5
Fiffe (w) and Pinna (a) and Woodard (c) and Cowles (l)
Deadpool 32
Posehn and Duggan (w) and Lucas (a) and Staples (c) and Sabino (l)
Deadpool arrives in Chicago, quickly ascertains the whereabouts of Utler and Ellie, and heads for them. He's stopped by ULTIMATUM henchmen, who shoot him in the head to put him down, and move on their way to capture Ellie. When they corner Utler and Ellie in an alleyway, Ulter has a heart attack, which proves an ample distraction for Deadpool to re-emerge from ULTIMATUM's van and rescue Ellie. He takes her into a nearby building, hoping it's more easily defensible than outside, and waits. There's a lot going on in this issue (and some that still needs to be explained, like the re-emergence of ULTIMATUM and how they got their info) not to mention that Adsit is having some trouble dealing with what he saw in the truth bomb, which was Deadpool's gruesome murder of his own parents, and Posehn and Duggan just keep pushing along. There's a nice desperation and determination to Deadpool in this issue as he does whatever it takes to save his daughter and it's an interesting look at a character who doesn't usually get those adjectives added to him. Total Score: 4/5
Deadpool vs. X-Force 2
Swierczynski (w) and Larraz (a) and Woodard (c) and Sabino (l)
Deadpool's gathered some Confederate troops to fire on the oncoming X-Force and he hints that maybe Talbot, the man who hired him and subsequently hired Cable to track him, had some darker motives behind this whole quest. The whole fight is made tricker when the Union forces appear replete with battle suits and all manner of other tech to help their side win. Cable, recognizing how unbalanced history has become because of Deadpool's interference, pops back to their last stop where Cannonball and Boom Boom are waiting and tells them they must ensure that the Americans lose the battle starting outside to the British to maintain history. Neither want to but they seem to understand the implications. While Domino and Warpath try to stall history's changes in the Civil War by fighting against both sides, Cable and Deadpool jump through another portal to 1900 China and Deadpool slaps a mind control sort of choker on Cable. I like the way Cable's presented in this, constantly calculating what needs to happen to keep the future safe and multitasking to get word to his group all while still battling Deadpool. It's a strong look at the character and the story is interesting enough to keep things moving. The bounces through time and between people make for a pretty quick read too. Total Score: 4/5Mighty Avengers 12
Ewing (w) and Land (p) and Leisten (i) and Milla (c) and Petit (l)
Luke's father finishes his story, talking about Deathwalkers and sacrifices to empower them and human/animal hybrids (which The Bear and the Bat-Man they faced last issue are) meant for more powerful sacrifice and how Cage's father was scared in the face of such supernatural and super-powered beings and pushed his son away when he began to embrace that lifestyle. The explanation works for Luke, who forgives his father pretty quickly and welcomes him back into his life. Meanwhile, Kaluu and Constance Molina hire the Mighty Avengers to find the Talisman of Kamar-Taj, which is being used by the Deathwalkers in their sacrifice of half-human/half-vampire Blade to end the world. Reading and writing that summary made me like this issue better than I had, which sometimes happens when I'm confused by a plot and work it out for the blog but also happens when an issue's story is more interesting than the issue. The latter is the case here, as the issue gets really dragged down in its own mythology and buries the more interesting story behind explanations and character diagrams. Total Score: 3/5
Original Sins 4
Doctor Doom: J. Robinson (w) and Maleev (a) and C. Peter (c) and Cowles (l)
Young Avengers: North (w) and Villalobos (a) and J. Gibson (c) and Cowles and Winecoor (l)
Captain America: Abadta and Durá (w) and E. Henderson (a) and Cowles (l)
A villainous businessman learns some secrets that could compromise Doctor Doom and attempts to blackmail him, sending the data out to some loved ones first but, as he waits for a meeting with Doom, everyone who could possibly have the data dies and he's ushered into his meeting. Hood finally shows his betrayal of the Young Avengers as Marvel Boy realizes he's uploaded all the information to the internet with an encryption only Hood can use, putting immense amounts of possible world-changing data at his and only his fingertips. A grown man at a superhero parade remembers that, as a boy in the Arctic, he unwittingly peed on the ice Captain America was frozen into. Pretty decent issue all around. The villainous businessman is so over-the-top villainous that it almost undermines the deviousness of Doctor Doom but the story isn't bad and Alex Maleev's art stands out as it typically does. The Young Avengers story is starting to clear up bit-by-bit and North shows us texts sent out by Noh-Varr and Hulkling to the other Young Avengers that explains their absence and are good for a laugh. The final story, as ever, is a bit of a throwaway but Erica Henderson's art is decidedly different from most Marvel art and works for the story. Probably the best one of these we've seen so far. Total Score: 4/5
Wolverine and the X-Men 6
Latour (w) and Asrar, Larraz, Messina, and Veltri w/Deering (a) and Silva (c) and Cowles (l)
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