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

Lotta books out this week. Several good books, several okay books, a couple of not so great books, and only a few great books. So which ones are they? LET'S FIND 'EM TOGETHER.

Avengers Undercover 2
I think there are really interesting ideas coming out of this book right now and that those ideas are really driving this book. Dennis Hopeless has done something very cool with this batch of characters and looks to continue it here. They're characters we can't help but care about because we saw what they went through and he did such a good job characterizing them the first time out. Now we can dive right into the brand new story and bring our feelings about these characters with us. It's almost a perfect situation as we're already guaranteed to care if we made the leap with this team already and now Hopeless just needs to find a good story to keep us here. I think he has, which is a great thing to be able to say on just issue two. There's plenty here and there's a lot to keep us onboard not to mention the interesting plot Hopeless has already established here. Gonna be another fun ride on this one.




Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 1

Kaare Andrews is off to a really strong start with this book. I was ready for the art to be fantastic and to care about the character because I love Iron Fist but I wasn't sure what to expect out of the story or the characters or the writing or anything. I hadn't read anything big by Andrews and it's not super easy to write a good Iron Fist story; Iron Fist fans are lucky because his most recent ongoing series was written by Duane Swierczynski...and also by Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker just before that. So yeah, not a bad team-up. ANYWAY, I wasn't sure what to expect out of IRON FIST: THE LIVING WEAPON but almost immediately Andrews has shown that he has some interesting ideas and that he's ready to take this character and this book to cool new places. He's already taken a look at the origin and put his own completely believable twist on it (assuming you bought into his origin anyway). The art, of course, is also amazing, but I'm really impressed by the story and the character that Andrews has already begun developing. I'm looking forward to this series as it keeps going.

Iron Man 24

Okay, this is where things kind of break down for me on this list. It was between IRON MAN, CAPTAIN MARVEL, THUNDERBOLTS, DEADPOOL, and ALL-NEW X-FACTOR. Frankly, that's too many books to have to choose from. There are upsides to each but I didn't think any were necessarily at the top of their respective games. Of them all then, I thought IRON MAN had the strongest outing. CAPTAIN MARVEL got maybe a little too caught up in the introduction of the Guardians of the Galaxy for my liking (and that cover really did put me off). T-BOLTS has really built up too much of a great book for its own good so a good issue still doesn't really measure. DEADPOOL was strong and a worthwhile look for the content inside but it's hard to fully recommend it for anyone but big ol' Deadpool fans. ALL-NEW X-FACTOR is taking good steps but doesn't quite feel there yet, you know? Also, kinda annoyed still with the ALL-NEW titles. Anyway, IRON MAN was a pretty strong book as Tony directly interacts with Malekith and dives headfirst into his war with the rings. There's a lot happening here and I think Gillen's right on the edge of throwing us some juicy Tony Stark character development. It's a fun read, it's a good story, and it's a strong character showing. I think IRON MAN is still kind of on the rebound for me after the amazing SECRET ORIGIN OF TONY STARK storyline but I am liking this story anyway. Look, it's hard to explain feelings, you guys.

Comics this week

Hey all my buddies, it's the start to another new comics week so it's time to highlight the five I'm anticipating most. There are eighteen new books out this week and more than a QUARTER of them start with the worlds "ALL-NEW," as the list on the right would indicate (unless you're looking at this post sometime after the week of this post, in which case there are hopefully different comics there). Though I am interested to see how ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER 2 is after a pretty strong debut issue, I refuse to put it on this list because there are FIVE "ALL-NEW" TITLES and I kind of hate the "ALL-NEW" designation. The tiniest protest aside, there are still more than enough books to choose from this week.

Avengers Undercover 2
A strong opener from Dennis Hopeless and company put the survivors of AVENGERS ARENA back on the map and now they're reunited to try to save the revenge-fueled Cullen Bloodstone from destruction or worse at the hands of bigger villains than even Arcade because, you know, Arcade isn't that big of a villain outside of his island. The tone and the focus on characters drove the initial series and I'd look for it to drive this one too.

Captain Marvel 2
Carol Danvers has gone to space hoping that the time off Earth gets her in a new headspace. It's a whole new start for Carol Danvers and one that will shake things up a bit for our hero. She's taken on a role for the Avengers as a sort of space warning system, fighting off or alerting the Avengers to threats to Earth coming from space. She's also set to join up with the Guardians of the Galaxy as they continue to gain popularity. Could lead to interesting stuff.

Daredevil 1.50
This is one I'm not a hundred percent sure of as it launches. To celebrate the fiftieth year of Daredevil, this 1.50 issue is a standalone issue that will purportedly give us a glimpse into DD's 2014 from the creators of his current series as well as a few stories from DD's past from past creators. By "not sure of it," I mostly mean that I tend not to put in standalone stories or retrospective stories to this list but I really like Daredevil and I think this one will still matter in the long run. Plus, I'm sure it'll still be good.

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon 1
Everyone's favorite K'un-Lun chosen one returns to the forefront of Marvel comics as IRON FIST: THE LIVING WEAPON takes off. Writer/artist Kaare Andrews will lead Daniel Rand through all sorts of new and, given Andrews' work with Iron Fist before, presumably beautiful places in this all-new (but pointedly not ALL-NEW) series. I love Iron Fist; he's somewhere up pretty high in my pantheon of superheroes. I'm really excited to see where this series goes.

Nightcrawler 1
With the return of beloved mutant Nightcrawler comes the return of beloved X-Men legend Chris Claremont. I'm very intrigued to see how Claremont comes at this new series. He was always a little wordy for my tastes but that was also certainly a product of the times. Now, in a world where comics are more accepted and understood and the artists are able to do more storytelling with a page, we'll see how Claremont handles a brand new series. I'm interested enough that I'm not even going to mention how much I miss X-MEN LEGACY, the book this one is replacing (kind of, anyway. Originally Nightcrawler was just going to take over LEGACY but then they were like "well hey, let's just title the book NIGHTCRAWLER." Regardless, I think Spurrier's LEGACY would have been over anyway).

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.

X-Men Legacy 23, Uncanny X-Force 17

X-Men Legacy 23
Spurrier (w) and Huat and Yeung (a) and Villarrubia (c)

David's world worm is in full effect as he finds himself trapped in his own mind while the sum of his powers begin to envelop everyone around him, calling forth all mutants to join him, which they do, convinced by David's powers that it's for the best. The only one who isn't called into David is Blindfold, who tries to stop the other mutants from being taken but who also recognizes that she won't be able to. She enters David's mind as her physical body keeps fighting the world worm outside and the two of them talk. It's a surprisingly soft talk with everything that's happening outside and it has a lot to do with his regret that he won't be able to spend more time with Ruth. It's then, though, that the smallest of loopholes occurs to him (particularly notable since he also spends a fair amount of time lamenting that the beautiful people in this world always get loopholes and manage to worm their way out of death but he just worms his way into it. Get it? Worms. Guys, I'm working on LAYERS here): one of the powers he's gestalt-ed into him is the powers of the Chronodon, who can make time stand still. He uses these powers not to stop anything that's about to happen but to give himself and Ruth just a little more time. And then they make love in that time.

This series and this story have been incredible all the way through, highlighted by a very distinct narrator and protagonist but certainly helped by a well-developed and maintained supporting cast. In the end, though, this was always meant to be a love story between David and Ruth and finally, after 23 issues, they get their moment. Albeit, it's a short lived one as they had to literally stop time to have it and their return to time will return their physical forms to fighting with one needing to kill the other to ensure their better future, but it's still a moment. It's a lovely moment at that and it's backed by an issue that gives us exactly what we've come to expect from this book; it's a solid mix of action, high stakes, and character drama with the typical comic book world-ending possibility and, as David knew it would, it all comes down to punching. Really great visual issue too. Striking images and jarring colors (lots of yellow and grey) really help to highlight everything that's happening and give it sort of an epic feel. So excited for the last issue but also so incredibly depressed by the idea of it.

Uncanny X-Force 17
Humphries (w) and Tolibao, Soy, Tadeo, Young, and Paris (a) and Curiel (c)

The conclusion of UNCANNY X-FORCE, CABLE AND X-FORCE, and the VENDETTA crossover itself kicks off with Hope plunging the psimitar into Bishop's gut. Bishop, though, convinces her to take the psimitar out without actually killing him by again pointing out that he's totally sorry but more so that she shouldn't throw her life away by killing and that she shouldn't throw her life away on him. Not to say he wouldn't deserve it, he admits, but that it's still not worth it (it doesn't hurt that he's not a threat any more). With this, the rest of the X-Force teams locate and attack Stryfe, splitting into two groups, one to attack Stryfe and one to locate their missing teammates. The attack on Stryfe is well-managed by Psylocke but ultimately fails to the omega-level mutant. Stryfe captures everyone in a telekinetic hold except for Spiral, who had left earlier, and Cable, who was still removed from the fight. Spiral, though, hadn't actually left officially but had, instead, gone to pick up Cable and they return to stab Stryfe with the psimitar, which does not kill him but does force him to flee. However, before he goes, he forces Hope to take his powers, knowing she can't contain them and will likely kill them all with the psychic reverb. With Stryfe gone, everyone is free to worry about Hope exploding but, before she can, Bishop rushes forth and talks to her, understanding what she's going through as someone whose powers also rely on absorption and release. Bishop manages to get her to contain the power and then blast it upwards, impacting no one. With everyone safe, the two teams reconvene and hang out a bit, effectively ending the books with Psylocke and Cable walking into the sunset together.

It's not a bad little ending but most of it hinges on Bishop and Hope, which is certainly a worthwhile story and one that's executed as well as anything in these two series has been. However, it also means that the rest of the players in this book kind of get pushed to the side a little and actually end up feeling a little unnecessary. The story was never about them and their rescue of the hostages only ended up serving as a distraction for Cable to get to Stryfe. Kind of a weird way to end the two series, which is kind of what I've been saying since the get-go. I've also been saying that this crossover has hit every beat in a sort of predictable fashion and, with the quality of the issue aside, this issue is no different. Still, like I said, the story of Cable, Hope, and Bishop was one certainly worth telling and I think it's told pretty well here. I don't think either of these series got to end on a particularly strong note with this crossover, sadly, but it's certainly an acceptable note and it paves the way rather nicely for Si Spurrier's X-FORCE next month (woo!).

Best Marvel comics of 2013 (part four of five): 6-10

Here we are, the official TOP TEN for the Marvels blog. Okay, well the official bottom part of the top ten but STILL really impressive comics. Let's find out what they were, shall we?

10. Iron Man

I hinted yesterday (okay, probably more than hinted) that SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN got bumped into 12-spot by some rabble-rousing book that had leapt clean over AVENGERS and into the top ten and, you guys, this was that very book. I think Iron Man has a lot of interesting foibles (fun fact: foible is also the name of the weaker part of a fencing sword!) as a character but his books don't really tend to hold my interest. I wish I'd paid a bit more attention to Fraction's run because I think he probably did a remarkable job on the character and did a lot more than I gave him credit for at the time (though I think I'm in the camp that tends to find Larroca's art somewhat boring). Regardless, Kieron Gillen has taken a lot of those aspects of Tony and really focused in on them while also telling a story that is quite probably more engaging than any other single Iron Man story I've read in a long time. "The Secret Origin of Tony Stark" was a phenomenal story and one that really changed the way I viewed the character (I'm still a little sour on Tony after all the CIVIL WAR stuff). Also, Gillen created one of the most complex and interesting villains I've seen recently in 451. There were twists and turns and retcons and re-retcons and just everything and, here's the thing, it all worked for me. Really brilliant stuff and now it seems to be giving way to Tony the futurist and the guy obsessed with fixing things working on a way to fix the future. Excited to see what this year holds in store for Tony both in this book and in the AVENGERS titles.

9. Daredevil

I struggled on this number a WHOLE LOT you guys and I think it's only going to get harder from here on out. I feel as though I've talked a lot about DAREDEVIL in the past few weeks so regular readers will probably know my feelings on this series. I think that Mark Waid has done a tremendous job turning Daredevil around as a character. This was someone who spent the majority of the last thirty years (since Frank Miller's run on the character) brooding and being dark after a start as a fairly fun (if overly similar to Spider-Man) somewhat unique (again, a little overly similar to Spider-Man) character. Not to say I didn't like aspects of Daredevil over the last few decades (okay, I liked him plenty, but bear with me, alright?) but that just made Waid's run with Daredevil all the more likable. If this run had been anything less than perfect, it would have been thrown out immediately. A new and cheery, NAY, CHIPPER feel to Daredevil? This is coming directly on the heels of Andy Diggle showing Daredevil snapping and killing Bullseye and taking over a criminal empire in Hell's Kitchen. So it's a drastic change of pace for the character but one that seems, in retrospect, ultimately necessary. Between Mark Waid's crisp and fun writing and Chris Samnee's similarly crisp and fun art (with the occasional pleasant interlude from Javier Rodriguez), Matt Murdock has been brought nicely into the folds of the Marvel Universe again. Looking forward to the way this series ends and then, promptly thereafter, the new one begins.

8. Uncanny Avengers

Rick Remender has been doing a spectacular job and, frankly, a rather underrated job in the Marvel Universe. I've enjoyed every book he's touched over the last couple years. He jumped on my radar with UNCANNY X-FORCE and made a real impact before kicking off VENOM (which ended up on this top list, even after he'd left it) and taking over on SECRET AVENGERS following Ed Brubaker and doing a stellar job of it before landing himself this year on CAPTAIN AMERICA and UNCANNY AVENGERS, both of which deserve to make the top ten (and both of which, spoilers, will). UNCANNY AVENGERS seems on the outside like a can't-fail book; a team that is specifically comprised of Avengers and X-Men fighting foes that may threaten each? Neat! However, you dig a little deeper into that and you realize just how tenuous the arrangement is and just how bad this book COULD have been. Instead, it's been a really thought-provoking and very challenging book. At times, it's been remarkably hard to read. At other times, it's illustrated the Marvel Universe better than almost any other book. Overall, it's been an always engaging and worthwhile read with a sharp story and solid dialogue to match the consistently incredible art. The intricacies of the Marvel Universe are best shown here and Remender is clearly the best man for the job.

7. Avengers Arena

It's possible that AVENGERS ARENA skipped a few spots up on the chart by sheer defied expectations. Following the example set by Christos Gage's AVENGERS ACADEMY, Dennis Hopeless gave us a roster of untested teen superheroes and made sure we cared about them. Unlike with Gage in ACADEMY, though, he then proceeded to kill the majority of them. Also unlike Gage, Hopeless had an initial cast of 14 and only 18 issues to show them off and still tell a worthwhile story. He succeeded on all counts and gave us a book that was simultaneously well-written, enjoyable, and tense all the way through. Even though I (sort of reluctantly) liked AVENGERS ACADEMY, I came into this book thinking of it as a sort of stunt, something where the kids would have to band together in order to defeat Arcade, a supervillain hardly worth the time of real heroes in the universe. Not only was it immediately proven not to be a stunt (thanks to the explosion of fan-favorite Mettle in the first issue), the kids never really banded together to stop Arcade. Instead, they turned on each other when the cards were all down, just as Arcade had wanted, and those who eventually survived only did so because the most innocent of them killed the most cold-blooded of them. Guys, it was a really good book, is what I'm saying. Even as I'm recounting it, I'm a little jealous of people who have yet to read it but who plan to (also, I'm sorry if I just spoiled most of the story for you). Solid work by Dennis Hopeless and I'm excited to see where he moves next (including the upcoming AVENGERS UNDERCOVER, which will pick up the reins from this book next year).

6. Captain Marvel

Yeesh, this was another tough one to place. I knew from the get-go that Captain Marvel was in the top ten and, honestly, had it in the top five in my preliminary thoughts but then there were a LOT of good books out there this year. I always liked Carol Danvers, even when she did some pretty nasty things for what I considered to be the wrong side in CIVIL WAR, there was always a character there who, while maybe a little boring in her own books, was a real character, a woman who was both competent and extremely powerful. Kelly Sue DeConnick has taken that same character and turned the camera JUST A BIT to give us a character who is both the same one who was created all those decades ago but who was completely her own and unique at the same time. My girlfriend and I talk about this series a lot in terms of a book that has maybe changed the tone of the character (for the better) while still sticking to her roots. One of the things I like best about comics is that these are characters who have existed for as long as they've existed and still find ways to surprise while ultimately remaining those characters. Usually this is accomplished by a new creative team deciding to take a chance on the character. DeConnick has shown herself adept at exactly this while also managing to create new characters and stories that stand out. One of my favorite aspects of CAPTAIN MARVEL over the year and a half or so it's been coming out has been her cast of supporting characters, something I almost NEVER point to as a bonus of a series. DeConnick created a cast and showed us tiny glimpses every issue, never so much that we lost track of Carol or the main story but just enough to establish that character when his or her number was called for a bigger role. Great writing, some outstanding Filipe Andrade art this year, and a wonderful character; I couldn't have asked for better from Captain Marvel.

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.

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

Sorry about the somewhat erratic posting schedule this week (that may only concern me). I've just started a new job that I will, in theory, get paid for as opposed to this one which I only pretend to get paid for (unless someone wants to start doing that, right, literally anyone?). That could mean more erratic posts in the future. My thought is that either things will get much better with scheduling posts or much worse. We'll talk about it later, you guys. Anyway, this week's a little bit tricky because there weren't many standouts and, in fact, the non-standouts weren't all that good anyway. Let's talk about it ANYWAY.

Avengers Arena 15

This one never really has a non-standout issue and this week's was no exception. Some more character-building, even this late in the game and even with the character we're building dying in this issue. I think we're in for some really stellar finale books coming up. There's still so much to do in this book, so many plots that need wrapping and so many characters who need arcs resolved. The main villain of the piece hasn't come close to even being touched pretty much since issue one. Now Apex and Death Locket might be in the best position for that but god knows what way they'll go when we get down to it (mostly what way Apex will go and which way Death Locket will have to go as a result). That's not even to talk about what's going to happen with Anachronism as his girlfriend, with whom it seemed to be getting rather serious fairly quickly, has been killed by a monster his best friend, who not so secretly has a bit of a crush on him, turned into. Guys. That's a real sentence I just wrote about this series. Why aren't you reading this series?

Captain America 11

Another nice entry into what has been a pretty reliably solid new series for Cap. There's decidedly less action in this than in the first ten issues, giving Cap and the audience a chance to kind of catch their breath (though Nuke is still all action all the time). Emotionally, though, taking a breath isn't necessarily what Cap wants to do. He's still reeling from the loss of both Ian and Sharon and now he's being asked to reacquaint himself with a time period he left more than a decade ago. That's not easy for anyone, let alone someone who has so much loss in his past. The way to hopefully get through it? Forget the past, focus on the future. As good as separating from the past might be for Cap, who has always been anchored there in some way or another, it's still a bit of a gut-wrenching moment as he piles all of his memorabilia on the roof and sets it aflame. Tough stuff. Really interested to see what next issue brings.

Ultimates 30

This one came as a bit of a surprise to me. Not the quality of the book, that's been pretty solid for a good time now. It wasn't really on my radar for the last pick though until as I was doing my last check over the list of new comics this week. This beats out primarily Avengers and Deadpool (Mighty Avengers is somewhere not far behind but far enough out that it was only going to make it if every other book got injured this week). Avengers had, I think, just as good of a plot and solid writing but really, the male gaze thing I talked about in my review of it lingers for me as a big negative. Deadpool makes a surprise pull but I think Preston and the middle of the issue in general slowed the book down a bit too much to make the final leap. Ultimates, though, was a great lesson in tone and momentum swings, which are huge in a book like this. The plot has remained interesting and the characters have been key as every Ultimate gets a chance to shine at one point or another in this one. There's a lot to like here, even if it got a little muddled in the middle and maybe a little too "don't peak behind the curtains" at certain points. Solid stuff.


Best Cover
Avengers 19
Yu and L. Martin

Well, I mean, this one. Sure the issue lost some points for male gaze but boy if this cover isn't beautiful. Great characterization of Carol. Great, kind of haunting image. Fantastic colors. If I was in the comic shop and not concerned with reading every single issue of every single week, I'd look into buying this one to find more out about this character who resembles Captain Marvel but maybe in this reality I don't know her history so like, why's she on fire? The last issue of Captain Marvel featured Carol going Binary too but it wasn't quite as dramatic nor impressive as this (also I think it kind of ruined the surprise at the end of the issue, frankly). Really nice cover here.

Avengers Arena 14, Young Avengers 9

Avengers Arena 14
Hopeless (w) and K. Walker and Gorder (a) and Beaulieu (c)

We're approaching, far too quickly for my liking, the planned end of this series. This is an ongoing series but it does have a conclusion in mind (just as it always must have, given the nature of this story) and we'll reach that conclusion with issue 18. For now, though, we have to ask who's going to make it that long. Apex and Death Locket are still underground at a laboratory/morgue somewhere on the island. The rest of the survivors, minus Nico and Chase, have been wandering the island for seven days hoping to find their way to Arcade or off the island. Anyone who's separated from the group has disappeared; Reptil first, going to scout ahead only to vanish, then Hazmat and X-23, chasing after something Hazmat saw and hoped was Mettle. Now Cullen Bloodstone, Anachronism, Nara, and Cammi are at breaking point with only a couple days left before Arcade's deadline. Cullen shares his story with Cammi after he and Anachronism had a bit of a row (they're British, they say things like "row") but the story is interrupted when a trigger scent is released by a Mettle skeleton walking around the island (so at least Hazmat's not going crazy! She might be dead though, she was with X-23 when the trigger scent activated). The concoction is flooding the island and a feral X-23 is attacking anything that moves, including, presumably, a newly spawned monster from deep within Cullen (activated when he took off his Bloodstone Ring).

You can see how we might be winding down to the end of the series as Arcade floods the island with kill hormones for X-23. Even without that, though, the attitude of those who remain is markedly down, even if it was never particularly up. They've plotted, they've planned, they've strategized, they've learned about the island, and it's all for nothing because, at the end of the day, they're still totally stuck and exactly where they started. People have disappeared the last couple days, leading to even lower spirits, and the end is nigh. The book has always been really good at tone and really good at, in a natural way, giving us backstories for its main characters. We haven't really had a good one in a few issues (most people have been explained by this point, particularly the ones we don't really know in the main Marvel Universe) but Cullen's is disseminated intelligently and at the right moment. Sure, it's not in the form of flashbacks, like so many of these ones have been; instead, it's Cullen flat out telling his backstory, but it fits well here and Cammi's the right person to bring it out of him. The reason she's been alive so long is that she knows when and how things need to be done and now is when this story needs to come out, both for them and for us. I also really like the use of the trigger scent here. Well, I hate it for Laura but I like it for story and motivation. One of X-23's biggest problems she's had to try and overcome is being used by people as a weapon and that's exactly what's happening here. Tough stuff to try to come back from. This series continues to impress and I'm sad to see it go with 18, even if I wouldn't have said that at the start of the book and if they've promised us something cool after (I feel like I've read that somewhere).

Young Avengers 9
Gillen (w) and McKelvie w/ Norton (a) and M. Wilson (c)

Last issue ended with a load of cliffhangers so we have to get through those little by little as this issue progresses. First and foremost: the kiss. David explains to Hulkling that he realized, when he lost his mutant power but his brain was still fully opened to him, that he was bisexual, though it hasn't come up in recent days because he hasn't been looking to start a relationship. He's still not, really, but he admits that he would have regretted dying without kissing Teddy the once because he views Teddy as the remarkably strong one in what looks like a rather strong relationship. Teddy admits his fears to David who suggests he try to take some time off, if he can, to get his head together. Of course, that can only happen when they're not stuck in Mother's dimension running from her. Working on that is the rest of the team, who are still facing down Leah in the barren place Loki had sent her. She talks to them briefly and with much vitriol before America leads them out. Loki tells what is mostly the truth to his teammates: she is sort of his ex and he sent her to this dimension because he couldn't hurt her here. Kid Loki, trapped in Loki's mind, taunts him for the reveal of the truth (being the best lie) but he doesn't have time to deal with that. He concocts a plan to rescue David and Teddy which involves running through a bunch of their evil dimensions to gather a horde of villains to dump on Mother as they make their escape with their teammates. It, improbably, works, and Mother is left to clean up her dimension while they make it back to their Earth. They discuss their next plans, which are basically to stay the course of Loki teaching Billy magic (Billy could be the most important person in the universe so it's probably good that he learn how to use his tools). Teddy approaches Billy at the end and tells him that they need to take a break. He departs to go meet with a therapist in the form of a support group for people who, weirdly enough, have been left feeling abandoned and confused by their partner. His therapist? A seemingly more grown-up Leah (Teddy didn't meet her when they all ran into her).

Oh man, too much to say about this issue. Guys, that's a really long summary and frankly I don't think I covered enough. There are weird bits and pieces that deserve their own analysis (Mother asking Kate when her birthday is and threatening that she's about to join Mother's side) but THAT'S HOW MUCH THERE IS HERE. This series remains as complicated and beautiful as ever, with McKelvie's art really shining through as there are plenty of long panels meant to illustrate a single character's features and emotions. There are a pair, on back-to-back pages, that show Leah and Loki in separate wide-angle panels that focus on their eyes that are just stunning. I've long praised, on this blog and in life, the art of Jamie McKelvie but the emotion he brings to characters continues to blow me away. The first real look at his art was in a Secret Avengers issue written by Warren Ellis (16, I think, of the last volume of Secret Avengers) wherein McK drew this amazing underground city with insane architecture and had Moon Knight soaring around it. It was absolutely gorgeous and that still tends to be what I think of when I think of him. Though I've seen plenty more of his work by now, this series is really changing my perception of him, going from that guy who draws these beautiful and fluid set pieces with really strong characters to being one of the best in the business at drawing people and their various emotions and tics. It's truly wonderful to see. Aw geez, I've spent all my analysis time talking about the art. Maybe you guys should just check this book out. No wait, you definitely should. One of Marvel's top books for sure. And I mean, just look at that cover! Teddy has long been probably my least favorite member of this team (I don't dislike him, I've just never particularly been drawn to him by anything he's done or said or whatever) and this cover still makes me want to die a little inside. Beautiful.

Avengers Arena 12, Secret Avengers 6, Young Avengers 7

Avengers Arena 12
Hopeless (w) and Walker and Gorder (a) and Beaulieu (c)

Katy is seemingly in charge of Murder World at this point and she's building to become better. She still has the Sentinel she stole from Juston, as well as complete control over Death Locket and Chase's Darkhawk. She debates internally whether or not she's the villain here but recognizes that it doesn't matter. Games don't have villains; they have winners and losers and she's winning. Unfortunately for her, not everyone is ready to lose. Nico Minoru, killed two issues ago, is going through something of a transformation out in the snow. Her hand, cut off by Chasehawk, is grafting back on to her body, her wounds are sealing, and the Staff of One is returned to her. In addition to returning to full health, she seems to have powered up enormously. Arcade watches and deduces that the loss of blood is responsible for her rebirth. To summon the Staff of One, Nico has to shed blood, usually done with a little cut or something else minor. This time, she's lost her hand and lost so much blood that the Staff recognizes her great sacrifice by upping her power and, as she called with her dying breath, helping her. She flies out to Katy and co and shows off her new power. She absorbs the forest fire that Katy has started to keep people away and instantly blows up the Sentinel. Katy, surprised by all of this, begins to fight back but is quickly running out of weapons. After Nico destroys the Sentinel, she disables Death Locket and delivers a couple of lighter blows to Chasehawk. Katy tells Nico that the only way to stop her is to kill Chase, which Nico won't do. Instead, Katy continues to use Chasehawk to attack Nico and Nico begins to lose her stamina again. Finally she deals a couple of blows to Chasehawk that take him out of the fight enough for her to focus on Katy and Death Locket. She uses a spell that pulls them underground, successfully ending the fight. Chase, free of Katy's influence, immediately begins apologizing to Nico, telling her that he's back in control now, and asking if she's in control. She hasn't said anything but spells since this whole thing started and Arcade speculated that her mind wasn't entirely there. Nico, though, assures Chase she's in control and okay and would rather fight with him later, if it's okay. Meanwhile, Katy and Death Locket have arrived underground, seemingly in Arcade's base. Death Locket is up and about but Katy has yet to move. Looking through a door's window into a room, Death Locket finds what appears to be Murder World's morgue.

Wow, big issue. For such a big issue, though, there's not a lot to add that you didn't see in the plot description. That doesn't make this a bad issue or anything along those lines, it just means it was a fight scene issue. Super important to plot, little bits about character here and there and maybe about story overall, but not huge character developments (aside from Nico being not dead, of course). There's still plenty to like about this issue and fight issues are a big part of superhero books so it's not like it's anything unexpected and jarring. Still, we get a good look at Nico's true potential with the new knowledge that a major blood sacrifice means bigger power for her. The plot advances a lot here and the art and colors are pretty huge so it's a certainly a book worth reading. Next issue we'll get the one that I made vague reference to in my pre-game this week about Hank Pym noticing that some of his Academy kids have gone missing and trying to piece together where they are in a guest book by Christos Gage and Karl Moline.

Secret Avengers 6
Spencer (w) and Guice and Magyar (a) and M. Wilson (c)

Last issue showed the team, led by Nick Fury, killing AIM's Scientist Supreme before revealing that AIM's Scientist Supreme is alive and well and representing AIM Island at the UN. So the question, the review page asks, is what really happened on AIM Island? Look, I'm still not sure. What I am sure of is what actually happened in this issue. Okay, I'm not that sure on that but I'm more sure on that than on what happened on AIM Island. The issue takes place before and during the events of last issue. We see former MI13 official Charles Dalton becoming the new UN Security Council liaison to SHIELD and telling Maria Hill that they want to install her as the official director of SHIELD, replacing Daisy Johnson. There is a good moment for Maria here, few and far between, where she does throw some support Daisy's way before apparently accepting Dalton's support. Meanwhile, Coulson has brought in James Rhodes to talk to be patched in and linked with the AIM created Iron Patriots. To do that, though, they need Mockingbird and Taskmaster to patch them through the communications hub of AIM Island. Mockingbird arrives on Barbuda only to find that Taskmaster has seemingly no recollection of their mission (hearkening back to recent days where we've learned Taskmaster's abilities have pretty much overridden his memories). Daisy, back in the SHIELD helicarrier Iliad, is working with Agent Ellis Love of the Psy-Ops department to try to reestablish a link with Taskmaster to try to unearth those memories of his assistance to this cause. She manages to do it as Mockingbird is about to put him down (after putting down his little team). He remembers what he needs to remember and they go off to the comm hub to link Rhodey in. Rhodey berates the Iron Patriots and manages to convince them to install him as their new leader, which they do, sending a new suit to him. Finally, Maria and Dalton learn that Daisy has an operation running on AIM Island (to catch up with the start of last issue) and deem that it's enough for the Security Council to remove Daisy as head of SHIELD

It's hard to keep up with this book if just because it bounces around so often between so many different plots. I've seen some books do that and work (Captain Marvel and Avengers Assemble in the Enemy Within storyline are the most recent I can think of) but here it's a little jarring because we've also jumped back in time, forcing the reader to remember what's come before and to work with what's happening now. I would say that maybe this will feel firmer when it's collected in a trade but I'm not sure that it will, particularly with the time jumping. In a trade, it will just feel a little out of place. That's kind of how this book feels at the worst of times: out of place. Something isn't quite working for this book. There have been times where it's been solid and it's done a good job explaining its purpose and giving us an interesting story but it gets too muddled down by its own premises to really stick to its strengths. Instead, it highlights its weaknesses more and more. Butch Guice has some solid art and I do tend to like his work but overall this book remains a little too obsessed with trying to build a secret, covert feel. It should maybe try to stick to a single narrative or maybe two next time, putting fewer quick jumps between scenes and letting the reader get comfortable with a series that is still trying to establish itself.

Young Avengers 7
Gillen (w) and McKelvie (a) and M. Wilson (c)

The Young Avengers have been out and about for three months now, with their time out and about wonderfully broken down by Instagram-ish posts from Loki detailing some of their escapades in the time since we saw them last. Mostly, they've been on the trail of a handful of Skrulls who have been wreaking some amount of havoc ever since they attacked Kate and Noh-Varr in issue one. Finally, after three months, they've caught up with these Skrulls and taken them down only to find that they're not Skrulls at all. They're a different race of shapeshifters who have decided to live like Skrulls because they hero-worship Skrulls. After the six Skifflefuffles are picked up by galactic police, Loki can't help pointing out the similarities between the YA hero-worshipping the Avengers and acting as them. Meanwhile, Teddy and Noh-Varr have a rather lovely talk about Teddy's fear (thanks to Loki) that maybe Billy is accidentally reality-warping Teddy into loving him. Noh-Varr doesn't buy into it and comforts Teddy as the group makes their way back to Earth for breakfast. At their regular diner, they run into Prodigy who has been waiting for them to return. He tells them how he's been tracking them and why and they go with him to the warehouse where Speed was taken by the weird force. Loki manages to trace the entity that took Speed but determines that he's skipped dimensions, which would require lots of time to prepare and to teach Billy the proper spells (he's been helping Billy master his magic in the three months since last issue), unless, he says, there's someone who can speed the process of dimension hopping up. America steps up and opens their way into the multiverse with her mysterious multiverse-hopping powers which had hitherto been unknown to the team (aside from, apparently, Loki). They fall through the hole into the multiverse America has created and find the not-Patriot waiting for them there, Speed still trapped behind his eyes. He beckons to them and runs into another portal that seems to enter into another universe(s).

This book is pretty phenomenal all around. I know I've said that consistently since issue one but it holds true every issue. One of the best things about this book is that the characters don't come off as fake nor as caricatures of themselves or of what a teenager is constantly shown as in mediums written by non-teenagers. There is a real honesty to them and it's an honesty that keeps them both beholden to their several years of established character and to what it is to be that age. Every decision this issue made is a pretty perfect one, from a Skifflefuffle narrating the open in a Young Avengers sort of fashion (it's no mistake that there are six Skifflefuffles) and being quietly extremely similar in their makeup to the YA, to the Instagram breakdown of the last three months (complete with comments on the pictures from every member of the team except America, who doesn't have an account), to their seemingly constant decision to go to breakfast together, to the reveal that, though the team has grown relatively close off-camera, no one really knows America even after these three months together, to the subtle inclusion of Prodigy to the story. It all works beautifully and it all comes together perfectly. The Instagram page-spread had me wary on the look of it but it works amazingly well. It ties back to Gillen's decision in Journey into Mystery to make Kid Loki someone who loves the internet and to make everyone else (except, decidedly, America) act their age in the comments but not in a condescending sort of way. More than that, it's an easy and effective way to show that three months have passed, which is particularly good to see because we can jump right back into the book, knowing that these people have spent three months with one another and gotten over the sort of "how will this team work together" building phase of the typical team-book. No wasted space seems to be the theory of this book and it's working out wonderfully. Every character gets at least one or two moments to really shine here. If you're not reading this book, you're missing out on one of the best constructed books the Marvel Universe has to offer. Amazing.

Cable and X-Force 10, Thunderbolts 11

Cable and X-Force 10
Hopeless (w) and Larroca (a) and D'Armata (c)

Dennis Hopeless jumps back onto Cable and X-Force after a Hope-centric issue to pick up where that one left off, with Hope trying to meet up with Cable and the Uncanny Avengers trying to do the same thing, though for different reasons. Hope tracks down Blaquesmith, Cable's mentor from the future living in the present and who now owns a group of convenience stores. Hope wants to know what's happening with Cable's visions and where he is. Blaquesmith seems to know but knocks Hope unconscious instead of telling her, which is of significantly less use to her. Meanwhile, the team is at an old trailer owned by Forge to get their bearings and for Cable to figure out his new plan, and to recuperate from Forge's eye surgery to replace Cable's eye. The team is laying low and Domino goes to talk to Cable, who is panicking because he's had visions of five separate catastrophes all set to happen at once, leaving him no way to stop all five. Domino demands that he starts trusting the team with missions and, with that, they plot out their newest set of missions for the team. They finish just in time to find the Uncanny Avengers descending on the trailer and Forge unveils his line of vehicles for them, which he's dubbed "Forge Force," to the chagrin of Dr. Nemesis. However, Cable's brain starts hemorrhaging at just the wrong moment and X-Force is forced to stall the Avengers as Dr. Nemesis sorts Cable out. They manage to hold them off in a nicely done, quick fight scene and Cable revives enough to blow up the UA's ship with his new eye laser for everyone to leave. However, unbeknownst to the team, the strain forces Cable to pass out, allowing the UA to apprehend him as the team escapes.

Another really great issue for this series, which has been perfectly equal parts action and fun throughout its run. The dialogue continues to be smart and to really define the characters without needing particularly character-centric issues. Dr. Nemesis continues to be one of the all-around best characters in the Marvel Universe and I continue to not really be able to articulate why. This book is smart and fast and fun at all the right moments and I anticipate it will only get better as the stresses get to Cable and as the team starts to get a little more responsibility. There might be no better team in the Marvel Universe to watch work together than this team right now, it'll be interesting to see how they work when separated and when a little more aware of their goals (or maybe a little less, I guess we'll see).

Thunderbolts 11
Way (w) and Noto (a) and Guru eFX (c)

All of the calls that suddenly came in from everyone surrounding the team of Red Hulk, the Leader, Elektra, and Punisher are from, as it turns out, the Leader. His suspicion is that it's his various pieces of intellect, stored in aggregate chunks of data all over the world. In this case, he wanted to know where Orestez Natchios was and his intellect is trying to respond, trying to give him the answer. Though this is unsettling, they trust the location they've been given because Natchios' location is pretty public; he's giving a book tour for his book about being raised by terrorists. They go to his reading, prepared to bring him in or kill him after but quickly learn that it's a trap. Orestez explains to the crowd there how he was raised to be a killer but he's managed to break from that, unlike his poor sister Elektra who, oh hey, is right over there, sitting amongst you and waiting to kill me. Just as he makes this announcement, trying to goad them, Ross goes Red Hulk and the gamma powered suits sent to kill Orestez by those he betrayed crash into the venue. Elektra points out that this is all a trap and Orestez has set this up to make them look like terrorists and to make himself look like a martyr. She says the only way to ensure that doesn't happen is to not kill him. Red Hulk refuses that idea and orders the team to kill him anyway. He tears through the gamma suits as Punisher and Elektra try to hunt Orestez. The Leader, meanwhile, sneaks into a computer lab and jams any satellite feeds, stopping any sort of news report from going live. Deadpool and Venom show up to make sure that no army backup provides support in the area before they can get out of there and Elektra leads her brother out of the venue. When Punisher finds her, she says that Orestez is gone and shows her bloody hands. The issue ends with Leader secretly talking to Mercy and bemoaning the fact that he's learned so much but still knows so little about himself. She says he knows enough; he knows he's meant to lead.

It's an interesting wrap-up to this story as it brings the team together to, again, execute a pretty successful mission, all things considered. We're 11 issues into this story now and we've only seen the team executing missions a couple of times, which is ample for the stories that have been told but still just a little bit sad. I feel like, considering this team, we haven't had a ton of time to look into who they are nor to see them really work together. I know that we have but I think that's been a weird function of having so complicated a story running so often. They've been pretty good stories (though sometimes a little tough to weave through) but, to a point, we've had to sacrifice some amount of character to get there. There has been enough character examination to get us through, which is great because what we've gotten so far is pretty compelling, but we haven't had a ton to think over. I think it's a failing of the book so far and something I'd like to see remedied because the best part about this team is simply who's on it. I bought the first issue, without truly liking too many of the characters, because the team-up of these specific characters was so interesting to me. I'd like to see Way get into that a bit more. Still, this is kind of a minor nitpick and the book is still more than readable and enjoyable. It's a good book with good characters who could really become great characters.

This week's picks!

Man, really good week for comics. There were some weaker entries out there but the strong entries were really strong. As soon as I read them, I knew pretty much all three that I wanted on my pull-list but that left one particularly strong book out, with four books vying for three spots. Good news though, it turns out I govern this blog as well as write it so HERE IT IS, a very special FOUR BOOK PULL-LIST.

Avengers Arena 10

This book just keeps getting better and better. The stakes have been upped, Hopeless has introduced a villain on the island in one of the combatants and made her a real force, and he continues to be unafraid of killing off big characters. Every piece of this book has been interesting and compelling and has made it just as worthwhile to pick up as the last one. Obviously I'm still suspicious, seeing how this is comics, that everyone who has died could just come back later, which would make their deaths a little weaker in a way, but I think this book will still hold up even if that is revealed to be true. Everyone here legitimately believes they're on the brink of death or dying and that makes it hard to watch them die, as if it wouldn't have been anyway. For added intrigue, Nico has dumped our ever-shrinking anti-Apex force somewhere on the island and, in her dying breath, called for help (but all magic-like). Great art all through this issue, really showcasing Nico's struggle. Really exceptional issue.

Iron Man 11

I can't stop thinking about the implications of this book. I've never seen a book so effortlessly turn the entire Marvel Universe to view it from a new angle. Does it actually change anything except in Tony Stark's life? No, not really. And that's what's so remarkable about it. It's a shift of massive proportions, with the conceit that Tony is the reason the world still exists and that Tony was designed specifically to save the world, without actually rewriting a single moment of Marvel history, only the way Tony perceives it. That makes it a big deal to the Marvel Universe in that there's a new way to view all of the events and attacks and everything on Earth and it's a big deal to Tony in how he processes and reacts to this news (will he become even more full of himself, knowing he alone could have ever saved the Earth? Or will this put the typical superhero angst on him? No one knows for sure). Iron Man 11 is a near perfect book in that it changes the game ever so slightly for the Marvel Universe as a whole while really and truly impacting Iron Man without needing a big event for it or anything. Everything and nothing has changed.


Red She-Hulk 66

I'm a sucker for this book and, especially after this last issue, I can't believe it's ending after the next issue. Its leads in Red She-Hulk and Machine Man have become such strong characters and have been developed so nicely throughout this shortened run (for those just tuning in, Red She-Hulk hasn't been the feature for all 67 issues; she took the book over in issue 58, I believe, so we'll only really have had ten issues with her when this is all sad and done). Every bit of dialogue has been important in explaining plot or in building these characters or both. Whether it's the relationship that's built up between Betty and Aaron or the flaws in both of them or the plot that's driven this whole thing, everything has seemed really well-constructed. This issue focuses on an alternate dimension where Red She-Hulk is, in fact, the only Hulk and Bruce Banner is just a scientist and it's executed wonderfully. It's not easy to do alternate universe books but Jeff Parker really knocks them out of the park and makes them meaningful and logical. In the end, it ties back to X-51's (yes, I like to use all his names in every review I write) "just a machine" background that he's always had to deal with and that he has had to deal with more recently with the Yologarch specifically. It's a really wonderful and thought-provoking book with good art and fresh writing. Pick this book up then come back next month for 67.

Winter Soldier 19

It would be impossible to leave this book off the list. It's the conclusion of the Winter Soldier series that has been so good. From his humble beginnings as a brainwashed Soviet killing machine way back in Captain America volume five, issue one to this conclusion of his very first solo series as a recovering brainwashed Soviet killing machine, Winter Soldier has seen it it all. He really is a wonderful character and hopefully the movie will inspire new media with him (and also be absolutely great because if it's not I might have to quit everything forever). This final issue ties in very nicely to the roots of Winter Soldier and the emotions that he's had to cope with while giving him permission to abandon those roots or use them to move on as a fully-formed person. Bucky is coming to terms with his life and his past and it'll only strengthen the character going forward. Great art by Klein and Latour's compelling story and understanding of Bucky drive this final arc but the series as a whole is really worth catching up on. Don't be surprised if you see Bucky again soon, even in this very review.


Best cover

These covers have been wonderful throughout. Declan Shalvey is a really talented artist, as his work on Venom and those covers, as well as these ones, have proven time and time again. Jordie Bellaire's colors are perfect on this "explosive final issue" cover. The explosion is mighty impressive, the projectile Bucky and the chaotic "Winter Soldier" title add to the turmoil of this, the final issue. You see this book on the shelf and you're interested because none of us can look away from an explosion (except Bucky but that's really only because he's been propelled from it forcibly for trying to look too closely).