This week's picks* and apologies

Hey everyone, sorry the last few days have been a little busy and found me far from a computer or from some new comic releases. Though it's rare that this is the case, I actually couldn't get my hands on a few new books in time for my release schedule (SHE-HULK, DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU, and ALL-NEW ULTIMATES) so I ended up not reviewing them (or ALL-NEW INVADERS, because I didn't want to just have a standalone review for that one because I'm a little OCD). I'll get to them in the coming days. Therefore, this week's "this week's picks" is a little lackluster because we may have some additions once I've actually read them all and, you know, also because it's a gorgeous day outside and you should all go celebrate Father's Day or simply gorgeous days. Hopefully it's gorgeous where you are and you weren't banking on this being a giant post to really gorge yourself on (though it's certainly shaping up that way despite my intentions). ALSO, what's the deal with the page boost spike yesterday? I didn't post anything yesterday, you guys! I'm *this* close to being a little hurt by that.


Avengers Undercover 5

There are some GOOD Madam Masque's
being written these days.

I'm really liking the vibe of this book right now and I think Hopeless is setting it up well to really kill as we move forward.


















New Avengers 19

Why does my shortest post have full
page screen grabs? Because I'm GREAT

Just another classic NEW AVENGERS hard-to-read-because-who-is-really-in-the-right-in-this-book kind of issue. My love for this book has slowed somewhat from its crazy and cinematic start but it's still certainly a consistently fantastic book.
















Hawkeye 1-18

From my own collection!

AH HA, GOTCHA, in lieu of a third book (it probably would have just been CAPTAIN MARVEL anyway) I'm fully recommending you go out and read or re-read all of the current HAWKEYE series again. I did it over the last day and BOY it's well worth it. All of the praise you've read for this book is well-deserved.

This week's picks

Some really good comics out this week and some comics I really, really disliked this week (looking over at you SECRET AVENGERS). So which three comics make up the list of the top three of the week? Well...look, I'm figuring that out.

Avengers Undercover 1
I thought this was a good issue, maybe even a very good issue, in and of itself. What elevates it to "top picks" status over, say, CAPTAIN MARVEL or X-FORCE (which, truth told, I think I probably enjoyed more as a book), is that I think it's setting up its own world so extremely well. I think it's often really hard to incorporate what came before either as a direct or indirect sequel and build another story with changed characters around it. I think that AVENGERS UNDERCOVER has already done a marvelous job at showing what these kids are up to and what they're up against for this series, which is an incredibly difficult feat for a first issue. Very rarely does a series world build so effectively in one issue. Of course, that comes with the caution label that reads "AVENGERS ARENA finished just a couple months ago and is fresh in my mind so maybe that's what has built the world more than this issue" but I think you could come into this book without having read AVENGERS ARENA and still have a good sense of what's happening here. More impressively, I think you could come into this book knowing what happened in AVENGERS ARENA and not be plagued by over-excessive backstory and summarizing. That's particularly hard to do in the case of books that take such a huge shift, especially where so much tangibly happened last series. Good start to this one, really looking forward to how it shapes up.

Black Widow 4

Another new release week, another issue of BLACK WIDOW gracing the top picks list (get ready to see another familiar name on the top of the next entry). BLACK WIDOW is the kind of book that seems to have everything; writing, characters, plot, art, and colors. Everything is working on this series and, as Edmondson and Noto enter into Natasha's first arc of the new series, it seems like this is going to be more of the same. Normally when people say "more of the same" it's a negative, worrying that the book isn't trying anything new. WELL GOOD NEWS, this book is incredible already so "more of the same" is just "more of the doing great work" kind of thing. This one didn't get as much into Natasha's character as the last three did, though it works here because Edmondson clearly set out to establish her character in those first three issues and did a magnificent job of it. Getting us into story now is definitely a good way to go. Also, this book will find it hard not to make my top three every time if Phil Noto continues to absolutely bring his A-game in the art. Incredible and definitely able to carry a subpar book anyway. Fortunately, this isn't a subpar book.

Hawkeye 17

HAWKEYE has long been doing things unprecedented in mainstream superhero comics. The conceit of the book as a whole was that it would focus on the days when Hawkeye wasn't with the Avengers or whatever other team he may be a part of at the time. That means it was the daily life of a superhero with no powers while he set up his DVR or bought tape or watched a holiday special. With this most recent issue, these are all things he's done in this series, and done to tremendous effect. This issue finds Clint falling asleep watching a wintertime holiday special and dreaming of said special which happens to mirror his own thoughts on things and his own situation. He denies help from everyone repeatedly but they refuse to be sent away and, as a result, he and the others overcome the problems. Will this message translate to Clint's life? Probably not. He's kind of stupid. But it's a wonderful book and it's one that's incredibly well-done with artist Chris Eliopolous stepping in for series regular David Aja and providing exactly the right style of art and the right feel for the book (as well as expert colorist Jordie Bellaire stepping in for series regular expert colorist Matt Hollingsworth). I talked a lot in my full post this week about how HAWKEYE has succeeded while trying all sorts of new things and things that, on paper, absolutely should not work, so I won't recount it all here (just click that link above, guuuyyyys) but all of that is part of why this book makes this list. Also because it's great.

Hawkeye 17, Black Widow 4

Hawkeye 17
Fraction (w) and Eliopolous and Aja (a) and Bellaire (c)

Back in issue six of HAWKEYE, Clint was invited into Simone's apartment to watch some holiday specials with her kids. This issue brings us back to those heady days with a frame of Clint sitting on the couch with the kids before all the pages between the first and last show us that cartoon, entitled "Winter Friends." The Winter Friends are a superhero group consisting of animals representing various holidays (including Santalope, the Kwanzaagator, the llama Rama-in-Pajamas, and Menorable, a cat with a menorah on its head) and they're up against one of their biggest foes yet: Mister Sun, who is turning the winter into summer, meaning no one needs the feeling of warmth and kinship provided by the winter holidays. With all of the Winter Friends defeated, Steve, the dog with no powers that they hang out with for some reason, is called into action. Joined by his smaller sidekick dog Lil and his brudder dog Herman, they set off to find the Winter Friends. They're attacked by the Dingoes, a bunch of tough dogs who slow up the three dogs. Eventually, three friend dogs Birdie, Lady, and Spooky jump in the fight and help Steve and his friends, despite his continued insistence that he can do it all by himself. He sets off alone for the sun palace and attacks Mister Sun, though he can't really do much against him without any powers. Steve continues the fight, though, because he's not going to let people get away with things just because no one will fight them. Eventually his other dog friends show up and save the Winter Friends, who summon Mother Winter to help them defeat Mister Sun. Before she goes, she calls Steve a good dog. Later, at the multidenominational pantheistic all-inclusive seasonal festivities, Steve thanks Lil for her help and admits he couldn't have done it without her. This lesson, though, may be lost on Clint, who has fallen asleep on the couch.

OKAY, first things first, I was totally wrong in my pre-game this week when I said this was promised to be "the dog issue of sign language issues." BUT, IN MY DEFENSE, the site I use to see what comics are out in a given week lied to me first. Now, about this issue, it's absolutely great. HAWKEYE has found this incredible little niche where it's able to do just absolutely insane things seemingly at will and, guess what, they always pull it off. This is a series that wasn't expected to go past about six issues; according to Fraction himself on the recent LiveWire podcast, he was on his way out of comics in that people were starting to stop calling when HAWKEYE was set to kick off. On top of that, Hawkeye never lasts more than about six issues whenever someone starts up a new series about him. Instead, it took off and did really well, well enough to justify issues like the dog issue and the time-bending and the interesting storytelling and so on. So it does unheard of things (which I think has also inspired Marvel to allow others to try new things, sometimes working and sometimes not) and, most importantly, it always pulls them off and are always worth reading. This issue has series regular artist David Aja illustrating the first and last page, the frame with Clint, and series regular letterer and children's book artist and cartoonist Chris Eliopolous drawing all the pages in between to give it a real sense of a cartoon holiday special. It's incredibly well done and the beats are all funny and sweet as Steve attacks everyone who tries to help him. Perhaps the funniest part is when Birdie, Spooky, and Lady appear as the comic drops all pretenses of passing for a regular special (Birdie, Spooky, and Lady, who represent Mockingbird, Black Widow, and Spider-Woman respectively, all very obviously have explicit ties to their counterparts). Things start to get more and more obvious throughout the issue, presumably as Clint loses any grip on the show as he falls asleep. Really great stuff in here and very, very sweet. If you came here for the ongoing story of the HAWKEYE series, this one may disappoint you, as, you know, it's a children's holiday special set in a HAWKEYE issue that was over ten issues ago. However, if you're here because you've liked what the book has done so far, you'll love it.

Black Widow 4
Edmondson (w) and Noto (a and c)

Black Widow gets caught up in an assassination plot when she's sent to go plant bugs in a foreign embassy only to have the embassy blown up while she's outside. She spots the bomber and gives chase over the rooftops but, when she catches up to him, he mutters a Russian word and cracks a hole in the ceiling of the church they're standing on, sending them both to the ground. Natasha blacks out with a broken arm while her assailant escapes. Her next step, under the authority of Maria Hill, is to spy on a meeting in the Cabinet of Ministries in the Ukraine to find what they know. She finds that they haven't authorized this man, Molot Boga, but that his next target is the Croatian ambassador, who will soon be stopping off in South Africa. Sure enough, when the ambassador arrives, Molot Boga is standing in the middle of the street, giant machine guns blazing. Natasha tries to intercept but has some trouble with accuracy with her broken arm. Still, she gets a couple of shots on him, though it seems to do him no harm. He calls himself the Hammer of God and continues to rail bullets against her. When he runs out on his giant machine gun, he fires a grenade at her, knocking her back into a storefront and giving him the opportunity to assassinate his target. He's in the wind before she can recover. She vows to follow him and meets with Hill to procure what she needs. Meanwhile, Molot meets with his benefactor, the man Molot may believe is God, and tells him that his next target is hard to kill and recommends that he destroy the plane the man is coming in on, regardless of the casualties.

This series has done something really interesting in its layout, something that comic books don't tend to do these days. BLACK WIDOW spent its first three issues creating this Natasha and showing her doing her work around the world. Some of it, of course, has seeds that will be harvested later, but the first three issues were more episodic than serial, in that you could follow the action and the character choices but, by the end of the issue, the story was over. Of course, the Iron Scorpion is someone likely to return but the story he first appeared in here ended with the issue, not a "to be continued" sort of thing. I think it served the series well. Natasha is a character, as I mentioned in my review for SECRET AVENGERS this week, who tends to flummox writers some, unsure if they should make her somewhat maniacal or somewhat unhinged or completely cold and efficient or, you know, more human. This series has a very clear view of Natasha, a very human view, and so sets about establishing that before it tries anything else. HAWKEYE, actually, was not too too different. Of course, there were even more seeds at the start of that series, with appearances by the tracksuit draculas and a slew of supervillains and so on, but every issue ended without an explicit "to be continued." Most books now immediately plunge into arcs within the first or second issue. Here, though, Edmondson and Noto have chosen to give the audience some time to get into the character and the style of storytelling before getting us into a full story. I think it's going to really pay off. Another wonderful issue with absolutely gorgeous art. Phil Noto's Natasha may be my favorite Natasha. Amazing stuff.

This week's picks

Hey guys, I want all of YOU to know this is a cheat because I didn't actually get around to reviewing MIRACLEMAN and REVOLUTIONARY WAR: SUPERSOLDIERS. But here's the thing: MIRACLEMAN won't make this list because it was released thirty years ago originally and REVOLUTIONARY WAR: SUPERSOLDIERS won't make this list because it wasn't very good. So let's assume that's my review for them (here, look, I'm really cheating on these because both my MIRACLEMAN and REV WAR reviews would be nearly exactly the same as they've been, one talking about the revitalization of an old series and one talking about how tone doesn't match concept) and we'll move on to the TRUE PICKS OF THE WEEK.

Avengers Assemble 24

This week was particularly hard to choose the top books, to the point where I had to go back and read my own reviews to see if I liked books or not. AVENGERS ASSEMBLE was one this week that kind of caught me by surprise at how much I liked it. I've liked this book throughout its run and I believe it's made this list before and that should come as no surprise; they've had good stories, I really like Kelly Sue DeConnick's writing, they focus on pretty good characters and build them up well, etc. That said, this arc feels like it should never have been as good as it was. Young superhero gets trained by a handful of Avengers at various times as a pitch reeks of maudlin talks of responsibility and the meaning of being a superhero. Instead, this one comes with as much depth and in-fighting (albeit minor, mostly in terms of how heroing should work) as you'd expect from a book from DeConnick and Warren Ellis. There's been a lot of good stuff and now getting to see Tony Stark work with young Anya is a refreshing breather from the subterfuge and stealth and brutality we've seen the last few outings with the Spiders and Wolverine. Really good, really fun stuff. I'm surprised this book couldn't find a home, though I don't think it was advertised particularly well.

Hawkeye 15
Next up is Sir Always-On-This-List as HAWKEYE delivers another great issue. There have been times where I've thought about pulling books like HAWKEYE or NEW AVENGERS or YOUNG AVENGERS from this list because they make it so consistently that it feels like putting them on here is just taking up a spot you already knew. On the flipside, though, this is a really good book you guys. HAWKEYE is consistently one of the Marvel books that I'm thinking about well after I've read it, one of the plots I remember from issue to issue despite the amount of Marvel books I read in a month (I often have to glance at a review from the previous issue for other titles or have to start reading the new issue before I go "ooh, that's right"). It's just really good work and it's as deep as any Marvel book out there without feeling the need to talk down to the audience. Fraction and Marvel hit a home run with Aja, a proven commodity who has some really expressive and truly beyond belief work with HAWKEYE but they managed to hit ANOTHER ONE with Annie Wu (obviously this is now going beyond this issue) who does some of the best facial expression work in the business. It's all needed as this book relies as much on the art as any other book out there. It's a great symbiosis of the writing and the art telling a story in the best way possible.

Thunderbolts 22

I've had to think recently about why I dislike those quirky introduction captions, the ones like FEARLESS DEFENDERS had and MIGHTY AVENGERS has, that say things like "Luke Cage: Wishing he'd bought cellphones" or "Power Man: Just walked in the door." I think the issue, largely, is that they don't seem to serve any purpose whatsoever beyond shoehorning in a joke that's not necessary. It's creating humor where humor isn't necessary and where it may even break the tone. On top of it, it's the sort of old-fashioned thought of "we have to introduce every character every issue because how else would people know who this is?" This is a really long and roundabout way of saying it can be hard to write humor in books, particularly humor in books where you want the action to mean something. I think MIGHTY AVENGERS is doing a much better job now than it was at the start of the series and beginning to develop its own tone regardless of those captions. THUNDERBOLTS, though, is effortlessly creating really fun characters (doesn't hurt when you have Deadpool interacting with a team in any capacity, assuming the writer can handle Deadpool) and really fun situations and moments all while maintaining a really good tone and pace with some great action and meaningful consequences. Reliably fun, reliably good, reliably capable of making this list.

Hawkeye 15, Fantastic Four 1

Hawkeye 15
Fraction (w) and Aja (a) and Hollingsworth (c)

The Barton boys are trying to piece together what the tracksuit draculas are up to with the help from Team Clint's Exes. Mockingbird drops by to tell Clint that she's followed the records of the strip club he busted up through several shell companies and eventually to its own, Ivan Banionis, the man Clint had deported before buying the building. She also has figured out that he and his companies own every building for three blocks except Hawkeye's, making him a big ol' target for them. Next up is Black Widow, who has dug up 18 murders in the tri-state area that seem to be a result of the tracksuits and their hitman, who Natasha warns Clint is practically a ghost, someone who can sign his work as loudly as he wants because no one knows anything about him. Meanwhile, a backroom meeting commences as the shady people above the tracksuits discuss the plans for the land, a three block by three block premiere luxury shopping center that would replace the medium and low income housing currently in the area. The only hold-up is Clint's building which the Clown, out of disguise (or into it, I suppose), says is still legally owned with the city by Ivan Banionis and that Clint's name appears as "interim superintendent and owner," a title the Clown doesn't think is terribly legal. He meets with the tracksuits next to tell them that Clint's stay there isn't exactly legal, which means that he can't call the cops on them so they don't really have to worry about the little games they've been playing; instead, they can go for a full attack. Clint and Barney beat up a bunch of the tracksuits in a van on the street but are rushed back inside when they hear Simone screaming. They run to her apartment and take out a few more tracksuits before Spider-Woman meets up with them in their apartment to tell Clint that he can't just "buy" the building, that things aren't that easy. Barney asks how the tracksuits got in and Clint realizes it must have been the roof and that they could still be inside. Clint runs downstairs and checks outside but the van is gone. As he comes back in, the Clown stabs him in the head with his own arrow and shoots an oncoming Barney in the gut before leaving both Barton boys on the ground.

Here's the thing about HAWKEYE that's been so rewarding for readers: that summary. Not, like, I did a really good job with it or anything like that (I'm fishing for compliments here, dear reader, take a hint, okay?), but the fact that it's so packed with things that happened. Every part of the issue was important and I STILL didn't cover everything in the book. Despite how jam-packed it is, the comic reads really well. It moves quickly, it keeps you exactly the right amount off-balance to keep you reading and entertained but not overly confused or lost, it has compelling characters with compelling relationships, and it's ultimately about the failures of Hawkeye more than the successes. Granted, it's a slightly different feel when Kate is our star because, simply put, Kate succeeds more. Hawkeye is a hero with the Avengers, he's someone who always shows up, usually does his part (which is sometimes actually helpful), and goes home. At home, though, he's a different person, trying to do his best with just about no sense of the actual world. This book was created by someone who understood Clint's life, who saw the bigger picture of Clint Barton. He was an orphan, he became a circus act, and he moved into a life of crime before being plucked from it and becoming an Avenger, which he's been ever since. That didn't leave a lot of time for studying or for understanding the way the real world worked, which is why Clint is where he is now. It's all summed up in an exchange with Jess where he says that he's just trying to do the right thing, that what the tracksuits were doing wasn't right and he wanted to fix it. When she tells him it's not that easy, he mutters "yeah, but it should be." Perfect Clint, perfect book, another good issue. AND GUYS, this analysis didn't even mention the fact that the Barton boys are seriously injured by issue's end.

Fantastic Four 1
J. Robinson (w) and Kirk and Kesel (a) and Aburtov (c)

The Fantastic Four are back, donning new red costumes and out to save the city again. The issue is framed by a letter from Sue to her kids which is very much the style of "how did things go wrong?" sort of storytelling, where we know something has happened to break this family up but we have to build our way there. She says that Reed is now a broken man, a shell of himself who she sometimes hates for everything that's happened, that Ben is in jail after Reed's testimony, and that Johnny is a wild card, a loose cannon, etc. BUT HOW? Well it apparently starts with them fighting Fin Fang Foom in downtown New York, which causes Reed to ask why he suddenly seems out of control, no longer the plotting and planning foe of theirs that he's used to. They defeat him pretty quickly and go their separate ways, with Reed and Sue watching over the house and the FF, missing Valeria who went to stay in Latveria after some anger at her parents, Ben going to see on-again-off-again girlfriend Alicia Masters, and Johnny going to see his rock-star manager. All seems to be back on track for the F4 until, late at night, some monsters burst out of Reed's lab and into New York.

James Robinson has been in comics for a couple of decades now but I'm only just getting around to hearing about him. He's spent much of his time over at DC with long stints with characters like Superman and Starman but, as you may have guessed, I don't have a whole lot of history with DC. Pretty much, I know Batman and even that is at a far lesser level than I know about the more minor Marvel characters. Robinson's written things for Marvel before but I can't safely say that I've read it (he did a few issues of HEROES REBORN: CAPTAIN AMERICA and I'd hazard a guess to say I've read them, as I've read some HEROES REBORN and I love Captain America, but I can't recall anything about them so here we are). Now he's the writer of the ongoing ALL-NEW INVADERS and FANTASTIC FOUR. This long intro to James Robinson is essentially just my way of talking for a while before I have to say that I'm getting a similar vibe out of both of these books and that vibe is the same sort of vibe, albeit less egregious, I get from Robinson's fellow countryman Paul Cornell, he of WOLVERINE. I have less patience with Cornell after the last WOLVERINE series because it just flat-out bored me, which Robinson has not yet done with either of these two books. However, there is a robotic kind of feeling to the writing that kind of shows there are characters here but makes it feel like, even this early into both series, we're not going to get anything new from these characters. New stories, new situations, sure, but the characters themselves seem like such boilerplate versions of the characters we already know. That said, we are EXTREMELY early into both FANTASTIC FOUR and ALL-NEW INVADERS so I'd be delighted and unsurprised if they turned me around (I'd also be surprised if I ever got to the point with these books that I have with WOLVERINE) and this may be nothing more than an incorrect gut feeling but it's worth noting that it's certainly what my gut is telling me right now.

This week's picks

Last week I got fairly lucky; there were a handful of deserving books but three books, as soon as I read them, jumped out at me. This week, not so much luck. A lot of good books and only three spots (well, really two once you realize Hawkeye was always going to be on this list) for them all. Let's get at it like the Red Sox got at the Tigers last night, hm?

Hawkeye 13
It's really great to have this book back after a bit of a late summer break as Matt Fraction fulfilled his altogether too numerous other duties. How this guy puts out fantastic book after fantastic book is beyond me but I'm not going to complain about it. Solid work diving back in with an issue that's part recap and part filling-in-blanks without feeling like it's too much of either. Just a really great issue with, of course, amazing David Aja art and Matt Hollingsworth colors, nothing less than what we've come to expect out of the series as a whole. Fraction's toying with time comes back around in a big way here as we jump from moment to moment in Clint's recent life, tying together the narrative we already mostly know. It's an impressive book that can take a story we already know and a character the book has already well-established and create a new story that feels fresh and fits the feel so perfectly while not really telling much new. Great work. Also, as a note, really hard to pick a single panel to showcase for this issue. There were three or four that really fit wonderfully.

Avengers 21 AND New Avengers 11
I know, it's totally a cheat but bear with me here, I'm going somewhere with this. I'm now officially on record as saying that I'm really enjoying Infinity. It's a smart event that doesn't seem like it's going to overstay its welcome and that consists of a story that both feels big enough to be told in such grand manner and could have really big ramifications as the universe pushes on. The structure and the flow of the event, tying directly to Avengers and New Avengers, matches well with the seriousness of the situation and makes this an event well worth reading. However, it feels even more impressive right now, this week, as Avengers and NewAvengers both come out, tying directly into Infinity but, more than that, harvesting seeds that had been planted long before this event in both individual title. Hickman has done a great job working up to this event in direct pieces (Ex Nihilo, Abyss, and the Gardeners, the infinity gems, etc.) but now we're also seeing how intricately he's connected these books to the events we're now getting.

Now we're seeing Captain Universe unleashing tremendous power after being revived by a legion of Ex Nihili, we're seeing war strike Wakanda on the end of Namor's pointing finger, we're seeing incursions, we're seeing the Builders of other universes, we're seeing Captains America and Marvel stepping into universe leadership roles as simply as they did in Avengers. Everything is coming together perfectly and it strengthens both these individual titles and the event as a whole. No reader can look at this event, whether they like it or not, and say that it feels sudden or abrupt. Ultron didn't just happen to show up and take over. Galactus isn't making a beeline for Earth because he's hungry. This is a big event made possible by seemingly every sentence leading up to it in these books. Really well done.

X-Men Legacy 18

Okay, so maybe that was a cheat so I could put X-Men Legacy on this list. Whatever, guys. This was kind of a toss-up between Legacy and Cable and X-Force, which really pulled back and renewed its sense of fun and spirit after what felt a little like a drought in there. Ultimately the choice went to Legacy for a couple of reasons. One, the story is already in full swing and it's a good one, giving Legacy the edge over Cable because Cable has to introduce its story before we can decide if it's a really good one or not. Two, as I said in my review, this is not the first time that I've trusted the Spurrier was telling the story that it outwardly looked like he was telling (David is getting revenge on Cyclops for the death of his father and, in a nutshell, for being his father's favorite son) before realizing that, in fact, he was telling the same story he's been telling since issue one (David is stopping a threat to mutants before it can manifest, no matter the cost). I'm not, despite any snarky remarks you may have, the worst reader who's ever existed; I should really see this coming. But I don't. I haven't any of the other times and I didn't now. The writing is superb, the characters are flawlessly flawed, the story is appropriately huge and quiet at the same time, everything comes together for this book yet again. Really hard to beat it.

This week's picks! (a day late)

Sorry about the delay for this post. Ended up having a bit of a busy day yesterday and a bit of sleep deprivation to boot so Sunday was a bit of a day sans comics. So let's just jump into this, which may, in fact, be a slightly shorter post than is typical for a pull list post anyway. Or maybe it won't (hint, it's not written yet). With that said, it's really hard to pick this week. There were a slew of books that had very good issues and only a couple that had really outstanding issues. Is that because the series as a whole has been outstanding so we're seeing the ones that are still better than other issues but maybe weaker than the strongest of those series? Look, I don't know. All I'm saying is that it's exceptionally hard to be me and maybe you guys should cut me some slack.

Astonishing X-Men 64

This one, even as I write this, is the most suspect of this group. I thought it was a pretty good issue but it wasn't without its flaws. It beat out other potential choices in Avengers Arena, Daredevil, Indestructible Hulk, and Superior Spider-Man, but only by an intangible fancy. Maybe I'm bummed that the series is supposedly cancelled (though there's further rumor that it's going to get a makeover for Marvel NOW 2) but let's not make this out to seem like it was a bad issue. It was fine and the story itself continues to be very interesting. We're getting a lot out of Bobby that, I think, will prove even more interesting after this arc concludes and we're able to pick up the pieces. Still, it was a fun issue by itself as we get a little bit of everyone and, it can't be ignored, a nice moment where Wolverine gives his thoughts about Thor (at left).

Hawkeye 12

This is one of those books where you have to be careful when you're making your pull list picks. I think this was a slightly weaker issue of Hawkeye than we've come to expect but the thing is that Hawkeye has been a phenomenal book so far. If you go in expecting Hawkeye to always be the level of Hawkeye that you've come to expect, you're setting the bar almost impossibly high for the series. When you pull back and look at this issue, it's still a pretty great story that's definitely worth recommendation. The characters of both Barney and Clint (who only gets some flashback and a very short scene at the end) get boosts out of this issue even if their current relationship still remains a bit up in the air. The beauty of this issue is that whatever Fraction chooses to do next will fit within the context of their relationship thanks to this look into their lives. Will the two forgive and forget? They could; after all, they're brothers and they were raised looking out for one another. Will their naturally aggressive personalities, in addition to their shaky history, lead them to fight with one another? Very possible. Whatever it is, though, Fraction has set it up for us here. Add to that Francisco Francavilla's very capable and personal style filling in for Aja on a story that fills in for our main characters and you have a worthwhile issue.

Young Avengers 7

Okay, well some books were never at risk of missing this list. There's plenty of plot happening here but it almost seems like it's in the background of what is truly a marvelous book. Gillen and McKelvie so masterfully explain away three months and, with it, a much more formed relationship between the characters that the book feels completely natural, even knowing that these guys haven't spent a lot of on-panel time together. Off-panel, they've grown and become something resembling a team. There are still self-aware jokes as Loki points out the similarities between a group of shapeshifters posing as their idols (more impressive shapeshifters) and their little crew and as Instagram makes an appearance in the lives of teenagers but they fit perfectly in with the characters and the story and the overall feel of the book. There are several books Marvel's putting out right now that seem to have the absolute best people for the job working on them. They include New Avengers, with Hickman and Epting, Hawkeye, with Fraction and Aja, and particularly this one, which has jumped so eagerly into a look and a mood that it feels no one else could have established. It's a wonderful thing. Even if you haven't ever liked the characters or the conceit of the book, you should check in with it. There's something truly beautiful when you feel the book is the best it could possibly be and that's certainly the case here.

This week's picks!

Like I said in my pregame this week, 22 books in a week means there's a good pile of great books, a reasonable amount of mediocre books, and a couple of unfortunate books. However, it's rare that all three books that I choose in my pull list post come from the same review. Where do we find ourselves this week, you may ask? IN THAT VERY POSITION.

Captain America 8

This book, though starring my personal favorite character, was the closest to not making this list. I don't think what happened here was predictable, though I did pick up on the possibility of it about halfway through the issue, nor do I think it was written purely to shock. I think this is a real story that has a real place to go and real consequences for its characters but it's hard to shake the shock of it. In that way, it was almost edged out by Young Avengers, which I found delightful and full of character and story, despite only have twenty pages or so to introduce and establish two brand new (to this series) characters. However, Cap edged it out as a perfect culmination of everything Remender's worked for. The story isn't as palpable and crushing as it ended up being if Remender doesn't put in the proper amount of set-up time throughout the series. We know what Ian means to Steve and what Steve knows about situations like this and Remender forces us to ask if Steve did the right thing, taking Ian away from Zola. That's right; Rick Remender makes an argument worth listening to wherein we ask ourselves if Captain America, the pinnacle of morality, should have taken a child from notorious madman and Nazi Arnim Zola and raised it as his own. No brainer, right? Maybe not.

Daredevil 27

This is another book that makes the list as much for this issue as for the time dedicating to setting it up. Not only is it enough of a wait from Daredevil snapping and killing Bullseye to go back and pull Bullseye as the villain and give him a viable enough story to set him up as the mastermind behind all this, Waid and Samnee perfectly created tension and fear in Daredevil before this issue, making Ikari a real threat and giving the audience the sense of dread that permeates through the scenes that show Murdock's friends and associates with unseen and quite possibly psychopathic agents. Then we get the perfect twist for someone dubbed "the man without fear;" he's overcome his mental blocks in this case and has prepared wonderfully for this moment, enlisting Daredevil's friends to keep watch over Matt's friends and fighting Ikari in smart (if lucky) ways. It's a wonderful book and the perfect finish to this story. Each part feels like it needs the next as much as anything. No space went to waste in this arc and it all comes together in the end. Truly an issue worth reading of a series worth reading.

Hawkeye 11

Ever since this issue was announced I knew it was going to end up here. First and foremost, I'm a sucker for dogs. Most dogs but particularly good sized ones. I've been sold on this series since Arrow/Pizza Dog/Lucky joined the cast. Even putting that aside, though, this book is gorgeous. There's a real story that comes through with a beautiful idea of the way that dogs think. It's not condescending, it's not cutesy, and it's not a waste issue. It respects the subject matter, the narrator, and the audience by not treating this as if it was just an idea they had and it didn't matter beyond that. There was care and purpose put into this issue. When I was in school, many times when I had the chance to pick my own subject matter for an essay or a presentation, I chose something that I could be entertained writing about. It often came down to Sonic the Hedgehog or comics. Despite the first instinct that would say these papers would be garbage, I know that I poured more into them and made them far better papers because I'd need to convince the reader that it was even more legitimate than maybe more serious subject matter. This issue kind of rings of that; they knew from the start this was an uphill battle to prove this issue was going to be worth reading and paying for. So they did it. Great issue.

Best cover

GUYS, I know, I'm picking the same thing as one of these books. I know, I know. But sometimes covers are just amazing and even if I've seen them for weeks before they were released I have to pull myself out and say "BOY this is a really good cover." So this is a great cover and it deserves to be here even if this post SEEMS super lazy because they're all pulled from the same day of posting comics but guys, I can't help it if I wanted to read all three of these books real bad. So you're going to have to deal with it and also be thankful that I'm not also choosing a best panel because, hey guys, it would be from one of these three books.

Eisner Awards

I was out of state last week (as I said pretty often) which meant that I had to push reviews through Mondays, which is usually my free day. As a result, I didn't have a chance to really talk about Eisner Award nominees in Marvel. I don't have a ton to add, but let's go over it as it pertains to Marvel, which is what pertains to this blog.

Best Continuing Series
Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction and David Aja

Since this blog is called "Marvels" and its URL is readmarvel, I can only really offer my input on Eisner nominees from Marvel. That leaves us pretty limited in terms of what I can talk about here, as there are only a handful of Marvel titles sprinkled through the awards. Hawkeye cleaned up nominations, as far as cleaning up goes with the big two right now (DC had nothing nominated). Hawkeye has been an absolutely phenomenal series and has changed the way that superhero comics can act. I read a blurb in the Nerdist newsletter saying that Hawkeye is one of the heroes who should get a movie in Marvel's Phase III. They cited Fraction and Aja's series as how to make the movie. I have a little trouble seeing that, at least in the tone that the Marvel movies are coming out now. It reads more like an indie movie than anything else. It would be hard to make it a major blockbuster. That doesn't matter for this though, I just found it interesting and it's an example of how different this series is as a whole.
(I feel it's important to note that both Ed Brubaker's Fatale series and Jonathan Hickman's The Manhattan Projects were nominated for this category. Though Brubaker doesn't have a spot in Marvel any more, it's hard for me to separate him out, and obviously Hickman is doing great stuff with Marvel right now)

Best New Series
Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction and David Aja

Not much more to add here. Great series. I wouldn't be surprised to see more Marvel titles pop up on this list next year with the strength of their books right now. Indies rule the Eisners though, so we'll have to see. I'm admittedly disappointed by how little mention of books like Captain Marvel there is right now. This was a weird year for Marvel, with Marvel NOW! starting in the middle/end of the year, so a transition year finds fewer nominees, I would say. However, Captain Marvel and Hawkeye have both been around about the same amount of time. Both are great (Fraction and Kelly Sue DeConnick are totally Marvel's power couple right now, I think they could do anything they wanted and the fans would love it).
(Brubaker's Fatale was also nominated for this category, as was Ryan North's Adventure Time series. I'm not a big Adventure Time fan as far as the cartoon goes. I haven't read the comic but I am all for Ryan North being nominated for stuff, largely because of his fantastic Dinosaur Comics webcomic. He's one of my favorite people)

Best Publication for Kids (age 8-12)
Road to Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young

I pretty much only review main Marvel superhero stuff on this blog because that's where my heart's at. As a result, I've left out a few books like Road to Oz and Powers and things like that. I've only read a couple issues of Road to Oz but it seems really compelling. An adaptation of The Wizard of Oz series, obviously, it reads well and, most importantly, features Skottie Young's incredible art. One of the things that's saddest about only reviewing mainstream Marvel is that Skottie Young so infrequently comes up. His baby variants throughout Marvel NOW! have been phenomenal and he's just an incredibly talented guy.









Best Adaptation from Another Medium
Road to Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young

Road to Oz appears again on the nominee list and again is deserving. Another thing I like about it, especially as it appears in best publication for kids, is that it doesn't ever seem to talk down to its audience. The best children's material seems to be the type that respects its audience enough to give them a chance to get behind it. I always loved Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events books for exactly that reason. It defines words for kids (sometimes a little too specifically for the situation) but it never comes across as talking down to children. From what I've read of this series, it's much the same way.
(A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle, adapted by Hope Larson is also on this list. I always liked that book when I was younger and I like Hope Larson and her husband Bryan Lee O'Malley a lot. Just a note there)





Best Writer
Matt Fraction, Hawkeye; Casanova: Avaritia

Fraction again comes up and he totally deserves to be on this list. Hawkeye is a great book and, as I've said before in reviews, is a character who almost never sustains a book. Everybody likes Hawkeye as a character (he graces many "favorite Avengers" lists) but nobody wants to read about what he's doing on his days off. Almost as if that was a challenge, Fraction has written a book that touts itself as what Clint is doing on his days off. Casanova's another fun title (published under Marvel's creator-owned wing Icon) that is...well, it's hard to define. I'm not willing to try. It's worth checking in on, but don't necessarily be surprised if it's not to your liking. I think, as with most creator-owned works, it's more a niche comic than a superhero book is. Still, Fraction is clearly a great writer and he understands the medium and what he can do with it like few others.
(Also on this list are Brubaker and Hickman, which continues to be worth noting for the purposes of this blog)

Best Penciller/Inker
David Aja, Hawkeye

I've already talked at length about how great Hawkeye is, but I guess I'll say some more. Aja's art on this book make it what it is. There's no other way around it. The art is gorgeous but deceptively simplistic. It matches the tone of the book perfectly in that respect. It's hard not to look at this book and instantly fall in love with it. I think that Aja has revolutionized the way Clint Barton will be portrayed for years to come. He's also already clearly had an effect on the look of Kate Bishop, as she carries something more similar to her Hawkeye look into McKelvie's portrayal in Young Avengers. Their art styles are completely different but she looks exactly right in both. It's incredible to watch.








Chris Samnee, Daredevil

Samnee, who switched from Captain America and Bucky over to Daredevil, seemed a perfect fit. I remember when they were teasing a new artist for Daredevil (hard to try to figure out, as Paolo Rivera and company had done such a great job when Waid initially took the book over) and then revealed it would be Samnee. I had been reading Cap and Bucky and loving the art and understood what a good fit it could be. Samnee has been everything fans could have asked for Daredevil. Good choices here.











Best Cover Artist
David Aja, Hawkeye

Not a lot more to say (not that I won't still say it). The Hawkeye covers are phenomenal. Again, deceptively simplistic and they lay out a perfect feel for the book before you even dive in. Aja has such a feel for Fraction's writing and what this book should be and he seemed to have it from page one (cover one, even). It makes such a difference to have that understanding of what the book will be. Fantastic.













So that's all of the nominees directly linked to Marvel this year. It would seem, also, that that's all the blabbing I can do about Hawkeye right now, but I'm sure I'll find an excuse to talk about the series more (especially as Hawkeye 10 comes out this week). GOOD TALK, GUYS.

This week's picks

Lot of books out this week which always makes it trickier to narrow down. I also feel like there were a lot of books that were solid but weren't huge blow-away issues. A lot of them were nice or were great for set-up, but weren't huge rewarding books. That makes this complicated but FORTUNATELY, I'm on vacation AS WE SPEAK (thanks to the magic of technology and being able to post in advance) so I guess whatever?

Hawkeye 9

I always want to add TONS of Aja art in here, but
Natasha being amazing is always worth choosing

Another beautiful little book. This issue is another in a long line of great character pieces that also advance the plot and give us a real sense of an ongoing emergency. Between Darlene Penelope Wright's warning of "if you have to make a list of Avengers to kill, who do you go after first?" and the murder of Grills/Gil at the hands of the clown, we know things are on the move. We also know that Clint is in some hot water with his friend-girl and his other Avengers pals and that he probably wouldn't go to them for help even if he did know what was coming. Writer Matt Fraction is pretty great at connecting with his fanbase, too, which helps put some things in greater perspective and focus for this Hawkeye series (as well as helps spread awareness of The Rockford Files and the many great parts of David Bowie). On top of giving a page-by-page breakdown of his experience with this week's issue, Fraction re-posted an image from 30 Rock showing the character Pete saying "I'm good at archery and kind of want to die" and called him the "patron saint of team Hawkguy." Kind of a wonderful statement about the book. Aja's art and Hollingsworth's colors keep impressing like crazy and some of the style choices in this book (mainly the attire and hair choices of the lady Avengers we see) are brilliant. Another great entry to the series.

Avengers Arena 7

I really like the way Arcade is characterized in this issue. Hopeless does a good job taking a villain that, by all rights, is pretty pathetic and showing him as pathetic, even though we know he's doing impressive things with this island throughout the series so far. When this book was announced, I was skeptical enough about the idea of a bunch of teen heroes being sent to an island and fighting for their lives. When I heard that the villain behind all of this was Arcade, suddenly the idea that this would be anything more violent and/or threatening than his previous appearances were all out of my mind. Instead, the book has consistently delivered with real concern for the safety of the people on the island. On top of that, Arcade seemed suddenly like a real threat but didn't seem like he'd undergone some kind of crazy grit-enhancer. His personality was the same but his powers were upped. This issue explaining his transformation could have hurt the whole story a lot. Alternately, Hopeless showed us a completely broken Arcade reignited by his love for what he does and with an assistant who was willing and able to make it happen. It's both given us a much better sense of the character and kept us intrigued by the whole situation instead of removing us from it with more questions. Perfectly executed, well-timed, and a general boost to the quality of what was already a great book.

Avenging Spider-Man 19

There were a few other options I was toying with for this spot this week. Ultimates was up there but got knocked out pretty quick, preferring to see how the next issue pans out. Avengers and X-Treme X-Men were both on the table and easily could have made this list in a slightly weaker week. Fantastic Four could have snagged this spot and nearly did when I started thinking about this list last night. The closest competition, though, was Thor. After re-reviewing both books, I decided to go with Avenging Spider-Man because I think the Thor issue this week was a great set-up issue to get us excited for this arc (and therefore a solid issue as a whole) but that it'll have an even better chance of making the list next time, when the ball starts really rolling on the action. Avenging Spider-Man had seemed kind of like a long-shot at the start of the week, but I find myself consistently impressed with the tone of the book and the sudden seriousness of the situations. Otto has faced some real threats lately and is maneuvering things to his liking, even if the audience isn't quite sure what his end game is just yet. On top of that, I'm impressed again as Avenging Spider-Man appears to so effortlessly tie to Superior Spider-Man. It's brand management at its best and it's something to behold. The team-up this week, pulling Sleepwalker out of near-retirement, considering how long he's been on the bench for Marvel, was well-executed and created some new intrigue for a character probably few readers are totally familiar with (I know I sure wasn't). Finally, the art tipped it over the edge this week. Checchetto and Rosenberg knocked this one out of the park and gave us some really great dream images with mixes of realism and surrealism and a sharply defined ghost Peter Parker to create a contrast. Well done all around.

Secret Avengers 3, Hawkeye 9

Secret Avengers 3
Spencer (w) and Ross (a) and Wilson (c)

I think that the seeds are here for a good book. Maybe it's that I'm coming out of the books a little less confused than I've come out of Avengers and that Avengers is a bimonthly book so there's less time to wonder what comes next, but it's hard not to sit this book next to Avengers and wonder who's doing the better book. It's an unfair comparison for sure because Avengers is bimonthly and is on issue nine while Secret Avengers is only through issue three and has probably as many seeds planted (if not more) than Avengers had at issue three. However, sitting in my future chair secure in the knowledge of the way things are turning out over in Avengers, it's hard not to wonder about this book. It seems like things slowed down a little in this issue. That might just be because I tend to zone out a little when SHIELD gets involved (particularly problematic given the fact that these Secret Avengers are essentially the SHIELD Avengers team, as they point out in the series). However, both Avengers and Secret Avengers are planting seeds and sprinkling water and fertilizer on them so we can eventually see the results. Right now, I'd say the seeds sprinkled in Avengers are blooming a little more impressively. Again, this is totally an unfair comparison to make because Avengers has triple the books out over Secret Avengers right now, but I think the mystery is in the telling right now. Avengers is featuring new characters Ex Nihilo and Abyss playing roles we're unsure of and doing things we're not familiar with whereas Secret Avengers is featuring longtime villains AIM establishing a UN formally-recognized nation and asking us to question what they're up to and our answer has to be "something sinister." No one reading this book would believe (and I don't think that Spencer is asking us to) that AIM is up to anything near legitimate. Now they've stolen the Iron Patriot armor from the US government and are planning to put Mentallo into it. There are interesting things being built, particularly in Taskmaster's maybe-allegiance to SHIELD and in the idea that these Secret Avengers have to be brainwashed  to be accepted in missions, but none of that is really featured in this issue, which I think makes it a weaker issue than the previous two (which have featured both of those things in some order or another).
This book feels like it's still kind of finding its footing. Maybe I'm putting that onus on a book that doesn't deserve it but that's the way it's coming off right now. I don't think my own comparisons to Avengers are particularly fair but they're a little hard not to jump on to. I do think there are things happening right now and off-panel that are going to work to this book's favor and I'm still interested in seeing how Hulk and Winter Soldier (both teased for this team) are going to fit into the narrative, but I think right now we're reaching a pretty crucial point in this book, a point that's going to decide the type of book this is going to be. I think the SHIELD-run Avengers is an intriguing idea, especially when the members have to be brainwashed to accept missions, but SHIELD has never been a particularly interesting organization and that's even more true when Nick Fury (original, not current) isn't in charge. Fury always has that wheels-within-wheels thing going on that makes him an incredibly dynamic character and one who can usually be trusted but you never know quite why you're trusting him. Otherwise SHIELD often comes off as a bit inept at the best of times and entirely irritating (Maria Hill) at the worst. It'll be hard to structure an Avengers book around the organization but I think it's probably possible. The next few issues will go a long way in showing if this book is capable of it.

Hawkeye 9
Fraction (w) and Aja (a) and Hollingsworth (c)

This Hawkeye series, for the past nine issues, has done things that no other mainstream comic does. I think it does a lot of those things. It constantly plays with the narrative and the time in a way that no book, particularly books from Marvel, is willing to consistently do. It focuses on character in a way that most books don't. It humanizes its main superhero, an Avenger, in a way no other book can. It highlights relationships in a real way that no other series tends to do. And it does all of these things expertly. Through nine issues, Hawkeye has appeared in his Hawkeye costume for maybe two full pages, if that. Fraction joked during the holiday issue that Clint has now officially appeared in more panels with a Santa hat on than in his costume. It was a joke in that it was funny, but not in that it was untrue. I can't remember the last time Hawkeye shot someone with an arrow. That might be because I have a bad memory but it also might be because I don't think it's happened in months (real time, not book time). If you ask people who have a fleeting sense of Hawkeye or even who are big Marvel fans but have only seen Hawkeye in the Avengers books what Hawkeye's about, they'll say he's an archer and he has a purple costume. I can almost guarantee that. People who have seen him more might mention that he's hot-tempered and brash for someone with no powers. All of these people are right. So how is it that a book about Hawkeye wherein he never wears his costume and rarely shoots arrows is one of the best books being distributed by anyone anywhere?
It's a really great question and it all comes down to this creative team. I'll be honest, Hawkeye was one of my favorite characters early on in my comic reading but the last few years had kind of put a damper on him for me. He's an Avenger but his solo titles don't tend to last so it can be a little hard to get a true sense of him. He's snarky, sure, he's hot-tempered, definitely, he's a regular guy, okay. All of these things are somewhat true (regular guy is a push) but it's more or less what we had before this series. In recent years, his biggest writer was probably Bendis, who clearly loves the character (I might say a little too much) but who didn't have a ton of time to characterize because he was writing a thousand other characters between all his Avengers books so he mostly keyed in occasionally with something snarky. Fraction has changed that all by delving deeply into Clint's personal life and, as the book states at the start of every issue, the things he does when he's not being an Avenger. It's a bold move and it's paid off time and time again. This issue finds the women in his life, Black Widow (the work wife), Mockingbird (the ex-wife), Spider-Woman (the friend-girl), and Kate (Kate) trying to figure out what he's been getting up to in non-Avengers time. It's a really great idea because a.) it puts us in a place where we get to see Clint's relationships through a nice little lens and b.) it really cements the idea that this is truly the stuff he's doing when he's not an Avenger. It's often hard to kind of separate heroes out from their various allegiances and teams and what not because you'll get a pretty constant stream of guest stars in a book and references to the teams they're on or it's simply in the reader's mind. Fraction and Aja want you to forget all of that and realize that the Avengers know far less about what's happening in Clint's life than we'd assume, to the point where they don't even know where he lives, let alone what he's doing with his time. It's a really brilliant idea and it's presented wonderfully. Meanwhile, the plot moves forward as Natasha has a great scene wherein she catches Penny/Cherry (whose real name is finally revealed as Darlene Penelope Wright) and learns that Clint's in real trouble. We also get Kate and Bobbi beating up some tracksuit Draculas who are hanging outside of Clint's apartment and finally we get the clown from hell who shoots one of Clint's supporting characters and presumably fan-favorite Grills/Gil. This book really has everything; interesting plot, compelling threats, and fantastic characters. And it's all for 2.99 a month. Worth every cent and some (but don't take that as authority to raise the price, Marvel execs who no doubt read this).

Picks this week!

Pretty phenomenal week, even if it was a little more intensive than I'd thought. Normally there are about two books I'm set on picking and a third I have to decide when I write this. This week is a little different in that there are three books I'm set on picking but, if these top three hadn't come out this week, I have a slew more I would have felt great choosing from. This week was pretty top heavy in terms of quality. It ranged more good than bad. I can't be upset about that.

Uncanny Avengers 4

I'm getting the sense that this book might start making regular appearances on this list. The team is solid, the characterization flows, the plot is incredibly compelling, and the villains are equal parts real and more horrible than anything alive today. It's hard to really put into words. But even little touches, like having Wanda speak a little more like an English second language character (she's from Transia, one of Marvel's go-tos for eastern European and twin brother Pietro has always come off a little as a second language guy, but I've never felt that same pull with Wanda before this book) just in her word selection and emphasis. It's a great little touch because it made me think about the character for an extra second and say "oh hey, this makes total sense and I really like the decision." Things like that really add to the book for me. Frankly, this book didn't NEED adding to, but it stands out nonetheless. Great book. Time to get onboard, everybody.

Young Avengers 2

This one didn't make my top picks the week it premiered because I wanted to honor another book instead and I figured YA 1 was going to do well enough on its own. However, it's time to honor this book now. Beautiful art, interesting story, wonderful toying with form and ideas going on. It's an all-around solid book. I'm also happy to see Gillen writing Loki again. He developed such a specific personality throughout his Journey into Mystery run and, regardless of what you interpret about the end of that run, I'm thrilled Gillen gets to keep working with him because he already knows that personality. It's also exciting because Loki always thinks himself smarter than everyone but he needs more people who either care about that intelligence or will try to challenge that intelligence or are not about just brute strength. For this personality, it's nice when he's with Thor but his best partners are people who he knows can think on just about his level but he refuses to treat that way. Anyway, a lot to like in this book. Excited as the series moves forward.

Hawkeye 8

This book will continue to make my list, as it has in the past and as it will going forward. It's just such a solid book. Aja's art continues to be gorgeous, as do Hollingsworth's colors, and Fraction's writing for all characters continues to be quick and funny and fitting. The feel of this one was a bit different but certainly still fantastic. Framed by Annie Wu's full page romance comic covers, the book took its own personality and story. It was pretty phenomenal. We're also set for some good characters moments as Spider-Woman is now aware of Cherry's existence and a bit less happy with Clint as a result. Hopefully we get the same cast we glimpsed this time around in the coming issues (Black Widow, Mockingbird, and Spider-Woman) as Clint's personal life gets more and more complicated. Also, as Fraction pointed out in his breakdown of this week's issue, Aja chose to make it retro night at Avengers Mansion so all the women are cast in a very specific light and it is delightful. Little touches like that make this book shine all day long. Fantastic week.