Daredevil 9, Ms. Marvel 9

Daredevil 9

Matt, Foggy, and Kirsten talk about Matt potentially writing a book with Kirsten's father, an idea Kirsten is against and Foggy worries about, though the advance check is crazy intriguing. Foggy, though, worries that Matt delving back into his life for an autobiography will dig up the parts that he's done so well to push down, a fear Matt doesn't seem to share. Meanwhile, the Purple Children are living large, walking around and scaring everyone, overwhelming everyone with their feelings, magnified to a child's level, and driving some cop cars around. Though Daredevil has more experience than most at fighting Purple Man, he's overwhelmed by the children's sense of fear and despair and loneliness and rage and grief and everything Matt's buried comes back up to the surface, wrecking him and leaving him curled up on the ground under an overpass where the healing Purple Man discovers him.

This is it, everyone. Everything Mark Waid has been building to and everything we've expected to come over the last few years of Waid's run is finally coming to a head and it's masterfully done. I've been guilty, of course, of expecting this sort of thing to come much sooner but Waid's patience is important here as every issue that Waid waited to have this sort of thing happen strengthened the payoff. This issue has a great balance of fun with Foggy, Kirsten, and Matt and of darkness with the Purple Children, a surprisingly sympathetic villain for Matt, who recognizes that the kids aren't acting like Killgrave, that they're not trying to convince people, they're just blasting their kid emotions at peak levels, as he puts it. It's too much for Matt and now we have our way in to the next story. Excellent work from Chris Samnee and Matt Wilson, whose highlight here comes in a full page juxtaposing the kids feeling their emotions and memories in Daredevil's head related to those emotions. It's absolutely incredible and it defines the issue so well. Fantastic work all around, as if that will come as a surprise to anyone with this title.

Total Score: 5/5


Ms. Marvel 9

Kamala is forced to fight in just her regular street clothes as she finds she can't change her appearance in the midst of a fight with one of the Inventor's robots going after her school. She wins the fight but passes out, not healing quickly enough to keep up. Bruno manages to force his way into the fight area and finds Kamala passed out at the center. Medusa, keeping a close eye on the new Inhuman, appears and has Lockjaw transport them all to New Attilan, where Inhuman healer Vinatos helps and monitors Kamala's recovery. He also tells her when she wakes up that her healing ability seems to revert things back to their normal form, so the more she heals the less she may be able to shapeshift. Rejuvenated and now aware that she's an Inhuman, Kamala returns home and apologizes to her parents, happy to see them. That night, she goes back to the place where she rescued Vick, prepared to free the kids inside. Doyle is waiting for her and unleashes another big robot for her to fight, which Kamala defeats with the help of Lockjaw. She finds the people inside the building only to find that they weren't kidnapped, they're volunteers.

There are few books that have developed a supporting cast as quickly and as strongly as MS. MARVEL under G. Willow Wilson's direction. Wilson has done an excellent job making us care about Kamala, about Kamala's family, about Kamala's friends, and about the heroes who have crossed Kamala's path. That's extremely difficult to do, particularly when you're building an entirely new character in her own entirely new book. If a character is created in a separate book and built over an arc in someone else's book, you can use a new solo series to further develop that character. Wilson doesn't have that benefit here, meaning that she has so much work to accomplish and she's 100% accomplished it already. My girlfriend and I recently, just because this is who we are, wrote big long lists of our favorite superheroes, ranking them in order as best we could. I don't know if you guys know this, but I love superheroes. After careful deliberation, I found that I'd placed Ms. Marvel at number sixteen. That put her between Captain Marvel and Dr. Strange. AMAZING company (worth noting that after the top like, three, the difference in position is negligible because I just really like them all so much everyone). This wasn't really a haphazard list, I really did think about it a lot and gave reasons for everyone at every position (I got up to 30 heroes before putting the list down). Maybe this sounds self-indulgent (uhhhhh, have you read this blog? Because obviously it's self-indulgent and, frankly, I'd call it self-important) as I focus on my own personal opinions of this character but I think it's important to note that, after nine issues (only seven or eight, really, when I made the list), Kamala Khan had cracked the top twenty. That says a ton about this book, whether you trust my judgment or not. Great work as ever and this book just continues to be a lot of fun.

Total Score: 5/5

Comics this week

Tons of books out this week. How much is there to love? I mean, not as much of a ton. But certainly some! Let's talk about it.

Daredevil 9
As anyone who's read this blog knows, I'm pretty into this DAREDEVIL run by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee. The last issue set up the newest arc for this team (now joined by colorist extraordinaire Matt Wilson), an arc that will pit Daredevil against the evil children of the recently hit-by-a-bus Purple Man. Creepy, creepy stuff almost definitely coming.

Death of Wolverine 4
As I've intimated the last couple reviews that have connected to DEATH OF WOLVERINE, this series has suffered a couple of delays that have made the tie-ins a little less effective. The upside is that this series has been a fairly strong (and, perhaps more excitingly, quick) little event. It's clearly a big shift for the Marvel Universe as key character since his inception Wolverine will, if the title is to be believed, die. So goodnight, sweet prince. Hopefully your death will at least settle out some of these tie-ins.

Ms. Marvel 9
Just a fantastic book. I really can't stop raving about it in my every day life. I wish someone would help me because it's starting to really impact my relationships negatively. But I don't want this book to be less good, so I suppose it's a push.

New Avengers 25
We're eight months in the future and Black Panther is having a tough time. It's never easy to watch Black Panther having a tough time. We're lucky because he so rarely is. That dude knows what's up, like, all the time. But now eight months have passed and NONE of us really know what's up. All we know is that the Cabal is BAD NEWS BEARS and it's going to be quite the fight to stop them. That fight isn't made easier by the fact that the regular type Avengers are none too pleased with the Illuminati. So much happening in this series that has been so reliably good since it started.

Superior Foes of Spider-Man 16
It came down, at the end, to voting for SUPERIOR FOES or voting for AXIS as the final book to recommend this week and AXIS left a bad taste in my mouth last week whereas SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN has not disappointed me yet. Or at least since the start of the series. That was like, a year ago, I can't be expected to remember that far back. Anyway, check out this series before it leaves us.

Inhuman 5, Ms. Marvel 8

Inhuman 5

The former king of Attilan, whose name has been stricken from the records and is referred to now as the Unspoken for the crimes he committed, has proposed to Medusa in the hopes of helping her lead New Attilan, though really to find more Terrigen. She, of course, rejects him, but does not imprison him, hoping to live up to her new welcoming stance and to find out the location of Black Bolt, which the Unspoken claims to know. As soon as he's left alone, the Unspoken enters a secret passageway which leads to a secret wealth of Terrigen, a depleted but extremely important resource for the Inhuman community and the source of the Unspoken's powers. Medusa, of course, never trusted the Unspoken and followed him down there in the hopes he would lead her to more Terrigen, assuming if anyone knew of any, it would be him. Unfortunately, he's able to take some of the Terrigen, allowing him to access his tremendous powers (he can pretty much do anything when he has the Terrigen) and he quickly takes over the city.

I've talked a lot about how the biggest flaw of this book is simply the timing. After numerous delays on the front end, this book is coming out about a year after the Terrigen Bomb went off in INFINITY, leaving Soule tasked with defining the past of the Inhumans, establishing the present of the Inhumans, and seeding for the future of the Inhumans, all while trying to do it quickly to keep up an overall series pace. The story itself is pretty interesting and the characters, when given a chance to breathe, can mostly hold their own, but the pacing tends to break down a bit as exposition wins out occasionally, like in this issue when Medusa gives a paragraph explanation of the Unspoken that is clearly only for the benefit of the reader and ends up being clunky and forced in the moment. I want to note here, because I don't think I ever really stress this, that isn't necessarily a dig at the writer; it's his job to tell a story and get people to understand that story and take interest in that story. It may even be an editor saying "hey, we need to explain who this guy is and we don't really have time to ease it out." Regardless of whose fault it is, though, it ends up hurting the book as a whole and it happens a couple of times. Hopefully the series will reach its potential as Soule gets the book to a place where he can feel confident just pressing forward.

Total Score: 3/5


Ms. Marvel 8

Ms. Marvel is having no luck finding leads back to the Inventor but is having luck finding giant Inhuman dogs as Lockjaw finds his way to Jersey and Kamala promptly adopts him. She and Bruno use the Facebook of the mutant teenager Wolverine had been looking for to try to learn more about her abduction. They use the location tracking on her last weird post to find where she was abducted and Kamala learns that Lockjaw is more than just a giant dog who likes hugs as he teleports her instantly to the spot. Together, Kamala and Lockjaw investigate the area and end up in a fight against one of the Inventor's big machines, this time powered by one of the kids she found at the house in Greenville. They take down the machine by removing the power source and she brings the protesting guy to the hospital, making her late for school and drawing more suspicion from her friends and classmates. That suspicion, sadly, isn't allayed as the Inventor sends another bot after Kamala at school after dropping a homing beacon in her bag. Will Kamala and the extremely helpful and great Lockjaw be able to save the school and keep her identity secret? Going to be particularly hard as Kamala can't seem to change her appearance!

Another great team-up as Lockjaw finds his way to Kamala on the orders of Medusa. Though he inspires fear and alarm in everyone else who sees the massive dog walking down the street, Kamala instantly takes to him, giving us another great look at the spirit and character of Kamala. One of the most impressive things about this series is that it feels like Kamala has been around forever, even if the story feels new. It's a testament to G. Willow Wilson's writing that Kamala feels so real and deep after just eight issues. Perhaps more interestingly, I'm not a hundred percent sold on the story or the series villain and I'm still totally onboard with this book as a whole. I think there's certainly still intrigue there for the story and villain but that's been a little less defined than Kamala so far, intentionally so but still potentially problematically. However, Kamala carries the book so adeptly that you're absolutely willing to give the plot a pass for a while, happily entertained by the characters in the book.

Total Score: 5/5

Comics this week

Hello my pals! I have a sneaking suspicion I didn't copy down the names of every new release this week so we may be surprised to find some more added on Wednesday but for right now, my count for new books is a surprisingly slim (and welcome) 16. On top of that, the top five jump out pretty easily so this should be an easy if predictable post! Also, why is ALL-NEW ULTIMATES coming out so often? Is anyone asking for it to come out that often? If you are, feel free to stop asking for it to come out that often.

Avengers Undercover 10
Dennis Hopeless' newest look at the survivors of AVENGERS ARENA comes to a close this week after a pretty exciting and similarly well-crafted run. I'm admittedly a little bummed to see it go as it provided a welcome return to that world and an interesting story to boot, though I think I've enjoyed it less than I enjoyed AVENGERS ARENA (though ARENA certainly had more time and more characters to build, which tends to be my favorite part of a comic). Still, tune in (do you tune in to a comic? Look, I'm not going to act like you do) for the undoubtedly exciting conclusion of AVENGERS UNDERCOVER.

Edge of Spider-Verse 1
How long has it been since Peter Parker has seen a spider-centric event again? I mean, his death was almost a full TWO YEARS AGO now. Well, hop back into the saddle Tiger (ugh, changed my mind, never saying that again) because you just hit the jackpot (I'm so sorry, look, I'm just as mad about it as you are). What will this event bring? How will all of the Spider-Mans from all the universes work together? Will the event be any good? This and more in EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE 1.

Hawkeye 20
On the heels of the extraordinary HAWKEYE 19, we take a look back over at the LA-based Hawkeye, the amazing and ineffable wonder of Kate Bishop as drawn by Annie Wu. I believe that Katie-Kate's time in California is coming to a close, which also means, sadly, that Annie Wu's time on the series is winding down as well, so check this one out while it's still here and fresh. Always great stuff from HAWKEYE and Annie Wu has made a name for herself with her phenomenal expression work and solid action. Great stuff.

Ms. Marvel 8
Ahhhhh, sorry NEW WARRIORS (and CAPTAIN MARVEL for that matter, I note with some surprise), you've been edged out once more by the increasingly enjoyable adventures of Kamala Khan who this week teams up with everyone's favorite field-goal-head dog Lockjaw. If you think I'm not giddy with anticipation for the wisdom Lockjaw will impart on the ever-growing hero (PUN) then you don't read enough of my friendly fanfic (just kidding you guys, I'd never write fanfic. You guys can do it to your hearts' content and you won't get a judgment from me but that's not my bag. My bag, instead, is writing for TOO LONG about why I like or didn't like a book or why, perhaps, I'm excited about it. Also: writing to stress just how clever I am).

X-Force 9
Did you guys know I like this book and I like Si Spurrier's other work? No? Well that seems improbable since I won't shut up about it. Guess you're new here! Welcome! Follow this blog and leave a comment and do whatever you would do on other sites, I'm sure you've been to the internet before, you can't fool me crafty new reader. Maybe follow me on Twitter (@starboy23) to be redirected back to this blog or follow me on Tumblr (timodactyl.tumblr.com) to see VERY LITTLE ACTION but a SOLID list of favorited posts or maybe see how my fantasy football teams are doing at Kalos4Eva (I'm Fletchling) or at Yahoo Public 1426278 (I'm Havok) or on my blog Marvels (readmarvel.blogspot.com) where you can

Ms. Marvel 7, Nova 20

Ms. Marvel 7
G.W. Wilson (w) and Wyatt (a) and Herring (c) and Caramagna (l)

Ms. Marvel and Wolverine continue their team-up, which involves beating up on a genetically modified alligator and a number of other physical challenges and finally culminates in a walls-closing-in room (official name). They find the power source in the room and Kamala shrinks down to follow the wire to the actual power source. To her horror, it's being powered by a young girl who ends up being the student Wolverine was looking for. With the power disconnected, the pair of heroes make their way out of The Inventor's lair, bonding all the way. When they go their separate ways, Wolverine calls Captain America to let him know about the young Inhuman hero, leading Cap to visit Medusa and let her know about the very special new member of her people. Medusa readies Kamala's next teacher, Lockjaw.

It's another fantastic issue for MS. MARVEL as her chemistry with Wolverine really shines and carries the issue. Like in Kelly Sue DeConnick's final AVENGERS ASSEMBLE arc, it's a young hero under the wing of a mentor, specifically Wolverine. Like in AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, it works really well but hinges on the relationship between the two heroes. Fortunately, it works extremely well, even better here than there. Wolverine is pitch perfect, toeing the line between supportive and brutally honest, exactly what you'd want to see out of the surliest of heroes. Really charming, really entertaining, really looking forward to a team-up with Lockjaw.

Total Score: 5/5


Nova 20
Duggan (w) and Baldeon (p) and Pallot (i) and Curiel (c) and Deschesne (l)

Nova heads out to find the helmet for Adomox while Rocket tries to find a cure for their poisoning. Nova's quest leads him to a secret Nova bunker, which has old weaponry and files on the Nova Corps. Sam uses the files to learn about his father's past, learning that he did indeed look guilty of the attack Sam saw but it was far more complicated than that; in fact, he was trying to trick Adomox at the time into believing his corruption. Reinvigorated by the news, Nova heads back to Adomox with a booby-trapped helmet and he and Rocket manage to get the drop on Adomox. With the help of Cosmo the psychic dog, they get the antidote and Rocket gets his money out of Adomox while Sam vows to find his innocent father, who fights on a gladiatorial planet these days.

Not a bad issue. Like with so many of the ORIGINAL SIN tie-in books so far, we've gotten the old bait-and-switch as we see someone do something horrible only to reveal in the final issue of the arc that, in fact, nothing horrible happened and the accused is actually something of a hero. You know what, that's kind of a terrible cop-out when we talk about it happening upwards of three times in a month (HULK VS. IRON MAN, DAREDEVIL, and NOVA...maybe some others too I'm not thinking of). The problem is that I can't blame NOVA simply for being the last released in the group. It's still got the fun narrative and dialogue that Duggan has brought to the series as a whole, it's just not the most exciting twist in the circumstances.

Total Score: 4/5

Comics this week

Hey all my buddies! I'm writing this away from the list of comics out this week so let's take an adventure and guess at what books (and what specific number issues) are out this week!

Daredevil 7(? 6? I think 7)

I'll level with you, I didn't remember what had happened last issue until I started writing this sentence (which called for tense changes, though now I'm convinced it's issue 7). I just trusted that I wanted to read a new DAREDEVIL. And I do. The ORIGINAL SIN tie-in may not be my favorite thing in Marvel currently but this series has proven itself reliably good and the story is certainly strong enough to warrant checking this one out. Also, are these Javier Rodriguez pencils? With Matt Wilson taking over coloring duties, this may be the last time we see Rodriguez on this title, where he's been excellent. So check him out in his last hurrah, unless I'm wrong and he's not drawing this one. Then just check it out for another reason.

Elektra 5 (pretty sure that's what I wrote down yesterday, I suppose it could be 6. Feels too well-developed for just four issues right now)

It's hard to overstate how onboard with this book I am right now. Really interesting concept and story propped up by some great character work and phenomenal artwork. I'm very impressed with what this book has shown so far and I'm looking forward to it with every new release.

Ms. Marvel 7

I feel I haven't highlighted MS. MARVEL enough, giving more attention to other phenomenal books out at the same time. Well take note, friends, I'm highlighting it here. Really fun book, really great characters all around, and currently a delightful team-up with Wolverine to enjoy. Check it out.

New Avengers 23

Another incursion! A falling out between the Illuminati! Fights! Failures! Follow-ups! Figureheads! Fun!

Nova 20

Real talk: I have no idea what else is out this week worthy of consideration so NOVA gets a bit of a cheat-win. It's not that much of one, though, as I've really liked this series overall and do find myself looking forward to the newest issues when they drop, so it's not not-worthy, it just may be less worthy than something else out there this week. Maybe ORIGINAL SINS if just for the Chip Zdarsky short story in this week's issue? Look, NOVA's a good book, check it out.

Elektra 4, Ms. Marvel 6

Elektra 4
W.H. Blackman (w) and Del Mundo (a) and Del Mundo w/D'Alfonso (c) and Cowles (l)

Elektra sees a vision of her mother through the veil, lecturing her about how she became a killer and giving her a glimpse of what her life would have been with the support of her mother throughout, while Bloody Lips sees his wife again, insisting he kill himself for the pain that he's caused. Elektra's mother invokes the innocents she's murdered and Elektra says that she's never killed someone who could be called innocent, showing no remorse even in the face of a disappointed mother and eventually realizing that it's not truly her mother as she asks Elektra what her father would think about her choices. She fights her way out of the area though she catches a glimpse of Bloody Lips in her mind, forcing him to reveal his name. She grabs Kento and the two emerge out of the water for Matchmaker to retrieve them. Kento knows that they have to go north to find his father and they escape in Matchmaker's plane, but Bloody Lips is hot on their trail, using Scalphunter's ship to trail them. Elektra dives out of Matchmaker's ship and manages to take down Bloody Lips' but she's forced down too, wearing wings to glide safely but still lost in the Arctic, where she comes upon a gun-toting Cape Crow.

With my new habitat of doing a leftovers post wherein I quickly summarize and give impressions of the books I didn't do bigger reviews for, I end up in a place where I can sort of cherry-pick the books for which I want to write a longer review (aside from the ones I deem "important" or "have AVENGERS in the title"). ELEKTRA and MS. MARVEL jumped out at me this week (though props to NOVA, MAGNETO, and THUNDERBOLTS for putting in the effort) as ones I really wanted to shine a light on. I've really enjoyed this book so far and this issue is no exception. The beginning gives a great look at Elektra's mentality (as well as Bloody Lips', which is, you know, pretty much the darkest thing you could imagine), which buckles for a moment in the face of her mother but never really falters, never backs down or asks forgiveness. Instead, she seems, if anything, more resolute about what she does. Really great stuff. And Matchmaker, you guys, she's the best. Real Amelia Earhart, fearless flier up there. Still excellent art from Del Mundo and still a great little series.

Total Score: 5/5


Ms. Marvel 6
G.W. Wilson (w) and Wyatt (a) and Herring (c) and Caramagna (l)

The Inventor has been sending bots out into the city to both annoy and try to find Ms. Marvel, who has done a good job so far of staying undetected or breaking said bots. Her father sets up a meeting with Sheikh Abdullah for her, which she doesn't wish to attend but ends up going, particularly as she's not in the best of books with her parents at current. She ends up getting really good advice from him and they both leave the meeting happy. Reinvigorated and looking for, under the advice of the Sheikh, someone from whom she might learn more about helping people, she dives into a giant suspicious pothole-turned-path-to-the-sewer, where she discovers Thomas Edison, the Inventor's clone of the real Edison combined with his own pet parakeet. Edison is conducting experiments to learn whether he can change an animal's nature, in this case teaching an alligator not to kill. Ms. Marvel prepares to fight him but is startled to find Wolverine entering the fight before she can get a punch off. Thrilled, Kamala relates to him how excited she is and how she couldn't have found a better team-up, to his dismay. Still, the two get along pretty well, helping each other out and trying to track the escaped Inventor or Edison in the tunnels. Unfortunately, they fall right into a trap and Kamala, with Wolverine rather injured, will have to fight her way out of it.

Another really strong issue as Ms. Marvel finally gets her first taste of the greater Marvel Universe through every teenage girl's dad Wolverine. He came to the sewers looking for a runaway from the Jean Grey School and now the two of them are pals. The writing between the pair is very fun and extraordinarily strong, particularly the way Wilson characterizes the well-known Wolverine on top of her own created Kamala. The book reads pretty quickly, though it does get a little confusing as Edison enters the scene, and the conversation between Kamala and Sheikh Abdullah is very strong but the draw here really is the chemistry between Kamala and Wolverine, which is equal parts adorable and fun on both ends.

Total Score: 5/5

Comics this week!

Hi everyone, ain't got no time for small talk but I'm sure I'll make some along the way. LET'S PRE-GAME.

Avengers World 9
I've really enjoyed this book though I was skeptical going in. Instead, there are, what, three concurrent storylines happening? I'm entertained by all of them! I don't even know what's on the docket this week (at a guess, I'd say Falcon and the Chinese SHIELD whose name I currently forget but I HAVE NO TIME, GUYS) but I'm still looking forward to it!

Elektra 4
This one narrowly edges out MS. MARVEL, which I'm really enjoying and would advise all of you to pick up, because I adore the art on this and I'm really intrigued by the story and the narrative. SHE-HULK also narrowly edged out MS. MARVEL because I've been thinking about it all week so SORRY MS. MARVEL, WOOOOO, I AM FOR REAL.

Original Sin 6
Man, even this edges out MS. MARVEL? Someone screwed up. Anyway, Nick Fury is a one-man space army but he still didn't answer the question about whether or not he killed the Watcher, which means either he totally did it or he's kind of crappy at the job we're told he's pretty good at?

She-Hulk 6
The blue file! People are going crazy at the very mention of it and Wyatt Wingfoot is in a particularly bad spot to go crazy! WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO OUR HEROES AS THIS STORY PROGRESSES?

Thunderbolts 28
Bens Acker and Blacker have started the series off with a literal bang (or at least a literal boom) as Punisher quit the team and was promptly blown up in a safehouse of his. Who will he blame? Who is to blame? Are the answers the same? Boom, rap it.

And the rest

Sorry for all of those days off this week. Sadly, I think it's probably set to be more the norm than the exception here. I'm likely going to change from a "Reviews all major Marvel releases" to a "Reads all major Marvel releases and tells you which ones to read" sort of thing.  So here's where the rest of this week's books landed themselves. Search out the pictures for the quick hits of the (admittedly predictable) top-rated in this group!

All-New Doop 3
Milligan (w) and Lafuente and Camagni (a) and L. Allred (c) and Cowles (l)

Doop keeps trying to help out in the Battle of the Atom but things aren't working so well. He can't out future Kitty as Raze because he fears Raze knows something about Doop's mother, who Doop fears. His only real help is temporarily taking Kitty and Bobby out of the fight so they can break up in peace. He then confronts his mother with the help of a couple X-Statix members. It continues to be hard to rate this book because I continue to not know exactly what it's hoping to accomplish so I can't rightly say if it's done so or not. 3/5


All-New Ghost Rider 4
F. Smith (w) and T. Moore (a) and Staples (c) and Caramagna (l)

Robbie, the new Ghost Rider, encounters and fights a Hyde-serum boosted Grumpy but has to flee the fight, promising to get stronger. Meanwhile, Dr. Zabu has decided Grumpy needs to be dealt with and, with a new and more powerful pill, begins recruiting an army, including Robbie's daytime nemesis Guero. This book continues to have a pretty strong through line and Tradd Moore's art continues to really fit the tone and action. Strong stuff. 5/5











All-New Ultimates
Fiffe (w) and Pinna (a) and Woodard (c) and Cowles (l)

It's beach day for the girls of the All-New Ultimates and they play in the arcade, tan, and gossip while Cloak works on his powers and Spider-Man asks Ganke about what his kiss with a villain means for his relationship with Kate Bishop. Also, Jessica Drew comes out as a lesbian and Bombshell's boyfriend is killed by Diamondback and her crew, luring Bombshell back to his place, where she's captured and drugged into subservience. It's too bad the reveal of a possibly strong gay character is buried by a book that's so boring and eye-rollingly uninteresting. 2/5


Amazing Spider-Man 3
Slott (w) and Ramos (p) and Olazaba (i) and Delgado (c) and Eliopoulos (l)

Peter is trying to get his workers to like him, now that he's removed from Doc Ock, but it doesn't quite work out. Still, his new aim to safely capture Electro and bid for a new prison contract is met with lukewarm response at best, even when he takes a few of his key scientists out to view a fire started by Electro. As Spider-Man has to scurry away to help deal with the fire, he determines that MJ's new boyfriend is a pretty good guy and runs afoul of a very angry Black Cat, who he confuses and evades for the moment by pretending he's still Doc Ock. She flees and finds Electro, with whom she teams. It's not a bad issue, per se, but if you read the entirety of the extra-long AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1, you probably could skip this one. It's good for building more on these characters but it's not really enough to separate from the bones of that first issue. 3/5


Avengers Undercover 6
Hopeless (w) and Green II (p) and Gorder (i) and Beaulieu (c) and Caramagna (l)

It's time, after a few weeks settling in, for a couple of the Murderworld Bunch (I'll come up with a better name eventually) to go on an actual mission and earn their keep. Chase and Death Locket, accompanied by Death Locket's new romantic interest Excavator and others, jump into a battle on AIM Island in an attempt to steal some tech only to suddenly see Captain America entering the scene. Excavator encourages Death Locket to take the shot on Cap and to take him out, which she very slowly comes around to doing but Chase tackles her as she's shooting, sending the shot elsewhere. He tells her their plan of blending in for now while they find a way to restore hero creed, which leaves her confused when Excavator attacks Chase and the two fight, leaving Death Locket with a choice. She shoots Chase. Strong issue, plenty happening and a nice jump forward in time to let us see what's been going on. Good development for Death Locket too, who was too much a naive pawn in the last series to get a ton of characterization. 5/5


Deadpool vs. Carnage 4
Bunn (w) and Espin (a) and Gandini (c) and Sabino (l)

A newly en-symbioted Deadpool attacks Carnage, still trying to convince him that he's predictable, at least to Deadpool. The two fight and fight with Carnage refusing to believe Deadpool's claims, still believing himself to be his own man. However, when Deadpool tricks him into killing Shriek by understanding the way he thinks, Carnage has to reassess. He delivers himself to the police office in the hopes that his imprisonment will give him a chance to think some things over. Deadpool wins another one though this one really felt like it had lost its focus from the start. But maybe, given these two characters, that was the aim. 3/5


Fantastic Four 6
J. Robinson (w) and Kirk and Haspiel (p) and Kesel and Haspiel (i) and Aburtov, Gandini, and Woodard (c) and Cowles (l)

The kids have been taken away from the F4 and they return home to find that the courts have also refused them access to the Baxter Building. The Avengers are onsite to keep them out because this book just keeps getting more ridiculous. The kids have learned from a SHIELD agent that Dragon Man is to be deactivated and they appeal to fellow android Human Torch to help their friend. Meanwhile, as ORIGINAL SIN hits, Ben learns that Johnny may be responsible for sabotaging a device that would have reverted Thing back into human form for good. This book has shown again and again that it has a goal and it's willing to walk all over any logic that might stop it from getting to said goal. On top of the insane court case that the F4 and Jen Walters somehow lost, now the Avengers are hired security to ensure a smooth transition because apparently the whole hero community would INSTANTLY turn on the F4 (though, you know, they are pretty boring). 1/5


Guardians of the Galaxy 16
Bendis (w) and Bradshaw, Marquez, and Masters (a) and Ponsor, Delgado, and Villarrubia (c) and Petit (l)

Angela swoops in to save Gamora from the Badoon as Captain Marvel swoops in to save Star-Lord from leaping out of a building to his death. J-Son and Star-Lord have a verbal fight in front of all the cameras J-Son insisted on having to show his son's punishment and it turns many against J-Son as Star-Lord gives an impassioned speech about the role of the Guardians. It even convinces the Supreme Intelligence to release Rocket. Meanwhile, Skrulls try to use the Venom symbiote and fail, which results in their deaths as it reattaches to Flash and Drax is sentenced to death by Gladiator and given the chance to choose his means. He chooses a battle to the death with Gladiator, who accepts. Plenty still happening but I think that the slow issue 15 hurts this one a bit as this one feels very much like the last one but, you know, the opposite? It's kind of hard to explain, but it's a situation where everything is happening so exactly the way they'd want it to happen that it kind of negates any drama from last issue. 3/5


Ms. Marvel 5
G.W. Wilson (w) and Alphona (a) and Herring (c) and Caramagna (l)

Kamala is quickly overwhelmed by The Inventor's henchmen, led by punk scientist Doyle, and forced to flee. She manages it but gets in some trouble with her parents when she returns home less-than-stealthily. She enlists Bruno to help her up her game with training and a new costume. After a montage, she returns to Doyle's place and takes them apart, rescuing Bruno's brother Vick without too much trouble. However, now The Inventor and Doyle's gang are out for blood. Solid issue, complete with some good training for Kamala (and some training that makes a bit of sense, not just a leap to "I'm a superhero now!" status) and good characterization for everyone involved, including Bruno and Kamala's parents. Strong work continues and just look at that McKelvie cover. 5/5





New Warriors 6
Yost (w) and Roche and Baldeon (p) and Roche and Tarragona (i) and Redmond (c) and Caramagna (l)

Wundagore Mountain, thanks to a bit of confusion out of the dog and cat priests (Jake Waffles and Mr. Whiskers), has been transported right to the center of New York City. Fortunately, it's phased a bit out of place and therefore it doesn't actually affect anything around it, just confuses plenty of people, Avengers included. Captain America and Iron Man meet with Justice and Speedball while Thor sits in with the rest of the team (minus Nova, the only one with a connection to Thor, thanks to a previous engagement). While Justice argues with Cap over the meaning of the New Warriors, Water Snake starts to see more visions, eventually attacking Thor because of them. While a big fight breaks out in the middle of Wundagore Mountain, Hummingbird reveals the demon bothering Water Snake and settles everything down, the misunderstanding cleared up. Justice quits the Avengers and dedicates himself to the New Warriors in the face of scrutiny, mistrust, and condescension from Cap. Another strong issue for the young book as fun and energetic voices mix with dark memories and weighty issues. 5/5


Savage Hulk 1
A. Davis (w and p) and Farmer (i) and Hollingsworth (c) and Cowles (l)

In the midst of X-MEN 66, Bruce Banner and the X-Men try to find a way to help Xavier out of his coma. Though Banner's device helps them to do it, it opens up Xavier to realizing he needs to do what he can to help Hulk. He sends his team of X-Men to try and find Hulk and help him find a cure for his situation but Hulk has encountered problems of his own, as the army and the Leader descend on him and as Abomination descends on the X-Men. It's hard to know if a lack of familiarity with the source material is keeping this one confusing for me but it's hard to point to the source material for why this one is so slow. For all of the crossed paths and all the excitement this one feels it should have, it seems to actually carry none of that. It also may have to do with my own distaste for Davis' art. 2/5

Comics this week

Hey bros and ladybros, we have a pretty big slate of comics this week because the universe hates me! Let's call out this week's top recommended books in our weekly pre-game.

Amazing Spider-Man 3
Slott has jumped right back into the swing of things (HA, how many times has that pun been used overall for Spider-Man or other superheroes, really, do we think? I'd put the over-under at 2,500) and this book feels rejuvenated for it. Been fun so far, looking for that fun to continue.

Ms. Marvel 5
If you're not reading this book yet, you should probably get on the bandwagon while there's still room. Seriously. Bandwagons aren't really known for their size, mostly for their propensity for heading towards things that people like. ANYWAY, it's been a fun book and, if Jamie McKelvie's covers are to be believed, young Kamala Khan is headed on a collision course with the rest of the Marvel Universe sooner rather than later.

New Warriors 6
This was VERY NEARLY replaced on this list by NEW AVENGERS 20 but I didn't want to have to write "SERIOUSLY, they're gonna fight those dudes at SOME POINT" a third time so instead, I'm choosing NEW WARRIORS, a book that deserves to have a little light shed on it. This book has had a really interesting mix of voices and I'm looking forward to seeing where these characters take us. So far, we have three choices that are a bit against the grain in that they're all what I'd describe as genuinely fun books. WILL THE TREND CONTINUE? NOPE.

Uncanny Avengers 21
Rick Remender's epic story continues as the remaining Unity Avengers prepare to "trust" Kang and travel back to the past to save the rest of their team. Can they manage it? What will become of the timeline they've grown to know and, perhaps most importantly, what will become of little Katie Summers? STORY ABOUND.

X-Force 6
If you even TRY to tell me you're not reading this book I'll be of a mind to slap you. Spurrier has brought his typical heady but extraordinarily fun style to this book about the world's covert mutant good guys and it's fired on every cylinder so far. Really enjoying this book. It's always refreshing to have a book for which you have high hopes actually meet or exceed those expectations. LOOK NO FURTHER, this book is GREAT.

Inhuman 2, Ms. Marvel 4

Inhuman 2
Soule (w) and Madureira (a) and Gracia (c) and Cowles (l)

With new Inhuman, or Nuhuman, Dante and sister Gabby successfully in the fold (though they're certainly hesitant about this new life), Medusa moves on to other business, such as securing more of fallen Attilan and staking a claim in the new world. With the help of Captain America, she defends a piece of Atillan from AIM attackers and then broadcasts and announcement to the world, saying that over the Hudson is their place now and that Nuhumans are welcome to join. As her day winds down, one more person comes to meet with her, a possible Inhuman named Lineage, who claims he knows why Black Bolt did what he did and that she's messing things up.

This is something of a tough book to write, and not just because of the production problems it suffered early on. Soule is tasked with getting readers up to speed on the Inhumans as a whole and all these new threats and new challenges. Still, he has to try to develop characters like Medusa, Gorgon, the doctor Vinatos, Dante, and Gabby, not to mention Lash (from last issue) and now Lineage. There are a lot of balls in the air right now and Soule is doing what he can to keep them there or catch them. There are certainly some bumps in this book but by and large it's a worthwhile read. Joe Mad's art is pretty spectacular and his fight art is stunning. Hopefully the book will be a little more engaging when all our players are in place.

Total Score: 4/5


Ms. Marvel 4
G.W. Wilson (w) and Alphona (a) and Herring (c) and Caramagna (l)

Bruno's younger brother Vick fled after accidentally shooting Kamala, still shifted to look like Captain Marvel. Bruno calls an ambulance but Kamala reverts to her regular self which, on top of showing Bruno who she is, heals her. It's not a perfect heal, as if she switches back to Captain Marvel she's still wounded, but she's able to safely stay Kamala. She and Bruno talk about the trouble Vick is in and Kamala vows to help him. She goes home and assembles a costume then she and Bruno meet at the shady house that Vick has been going to, home of, perhaps, new villain the Inventor. A newly outfitted Kamala busts in calling herself Ms. Marvel and takes out, with some difficulty, the robots guarding the place before finding Vick and finding herself face-to-face with the Inventor.

One of the things that has made this book so compelling from the start (and it's something that I think NOVA has hit on a few time in its run) is that it's fresh. You can feel the youth in this book, regardless if the book is actually created by younger people or not. What I mean to say is that this book (and at times in NOVA, mostly during Wells' and Duggan's runs) does a pretty good job putting a realistic kid in these situations. Kamala is fresh and fun and, though she's clearly smart and good, she's undoubtedly still a teenager. It doesn't feel like "this person is writing a teenager!" for the majority of the book. Instead, it feels like simply a compelling young woman. Adrian Alphona's art can't be left out of this. Though G. Willow Wilson is writing a solid Kamala, Alphona's art grounds this series in a way, to such a degree, that very few artists can do. Overall just a really fun and interesting book that feels like it has places to go.

Total Score: 5/5

Comics this week

Another fairly busy week this week with 17 new releases scheduled to hit and some fairly big ones to boot. Still, five stand out, as they ever seem to, from the rest of the pack.

Avengers 30
AVENGERS had slipped somewhat out of my top titles to look for lists but the last couple issues, detailing Banner and Captain America finding out about the reformed Illuminati (or finding out again, as the case may have been), have brought an incredible tension to the book and have kept me on the edge of my seat (does that cliche work when you're reading? I don't really need to lean forward to get a closer look). With AVENGERS 30, I'm looking for more of that.

Inhuman 2
I'm not so sure what to make of this series still but Charles Soule has been good to us since he made his way to Marvel and I don't expect that to change. The biggest flaws in the series thus far have been on the business end; problems launching and shipping have led to a somewhat stagnant feeling behind the main message. Still, hopefully Soule will be able to pull us in with this series as it's clear Marvel has some big plans for the Inhumans.

Ms. Marvel 4
If you're not reading this book yet, it's time to get on board. It's drawing comparisons to books like ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, which is one that people still reference as one of their favorite books all time. Get into this one before you've missed the rush of it and while it's still retailing, miraculously, for $2.99. Also, if the characters, writing, and interior art weren't enough (note: they are), Jamie McKelvie is doing the covers for this series at current and they are amazing.

Uncanny Avengers 20
While the Marvel Universe shifts into ORIGINAL SIN, UNCANNY AVENGERS stays its course, continuing to tell the story it's been telling for a solid 15 issues or so at this point. It's a true epic of a tale, something that's almost impossible to see in Marvel these days. More impressively, it remains good and compelling. Time to head back to Planet X while we push towards the end.

Winter Soldier: Bitter March 4
I've really been enjoying this book so far, an extremely interesting story in its own right but clearly a story that's working to a greater end (it continues to be a story both about the Winter Soldier, always worth reading, and about Ran Shen, current villain of CAPTAIN AMERICA, well before he was a villain and back when he was a high-ranking SHIELD officer). The gorgeous covers and the fantastic interior art have set a tone for this limited series that is rarely seen from Marvel.

Ms. Marvel 3, Thor: God of Thunder 21

Ms. Marvel 3
GW Wilson (w) and Alphona (a) and Herring (c) and Caramagna (l)

Kamala has been grounded and, more to the point, has realized she has some sort of super powers. Being grounded is making it particularly hard to learn more about these powers just as refusing to talk to her friend Bruno since he ratted her out to her parents is making it harder for her to talk to anyone about it. She goes to the girl's locker room when she feels her hand starting to shrink and she begins to try to control her powers. She manages to grow large enough to bring part of the ceiling down and to even change her appearance to look like her mother before she's discovered and given detention for being in the locker room when she's not supposed to be. After detention, she goes to talk to Bruno at the Circle Q only to find a robber holding him up. Unbeknownst to Kamala, the robber is Bruno's brother Vick and Bruno finds the whole robbery ridiculous. Kamala changes her appearance to that of Captain Marvel and tries to stop the robbery, mostly succeeding until, amidst all the chaos, Vick shoots her in the gut.

Story
Things certainly are starting to move for Kamala as news reports from the previous night start to surface and the new Ms. Marvel has been sighted. We also get the introduction of Bruno's deadbeat brother and the idea that Bruno, a science whiz, is creating a sort of polymer that would stretch material to which it was bonded (more than a little happily convenient there). The story takes a very sudden turn as Kamala, attempting to use her powers intentionally to help people, is shot in the gut. Bit of an abrupt twist there. 4/5

Character
The way writer G. Willow Wilson is setting this new story is to create Kamala's world before really sending us out on adventures (though the last page of this issue would beg to differ). As a result, we're going to get a good sense of the personality of Kamala, Nakio, and Bruno before things can really advance and I think that's the best way to handle it, even if it means the plot has to move in slightly quicker brush strokes (Bruno, a high schooler, happens to be creating an unbelievable polymer that would make material stretch, Kamala is shot in the gut by Bruno's brother, etc.). Still, we're getting a pretty good sense of who Kamala is and of who her friends are, all of which will be most important as we move forward. 5/5

Writing
As I said, the focus on character, while overall working, does mean that Wilson has to make a couple of leaps here and there to keep the story interesting and fresh while she develops the world. The writing itself, the tone and the dialogue and all, are still strong but the plot is rushing maybe a little bit. 4/5

Art
Adrian Alphona's art is a departure from most of the other art styles out there. His style and his colors are much more faded and almost pastel-colored than most anything out there in comics, which gives everything almost a sort of surreal feel. I think that it works well with this book and it means that the reader's eye isn't necessarily drawn to the action or the surroundings, but to the expressive faces of the characters. Where Wilson's goal is to set up a strong focus on character rather than action to start, this approach feels like the best possible approach. 5/5

Miscellaneous
The book seems to be going well. I am stuck a little bit on some of the plot points (the gunshot seems very abrupt as does the "well geez, look at this fabric I'm making." Look, I get hung up on some things) and the book tends to kind of slow down and speed up at weird times but I think those sorts of kinks will largely work themselves out as the creative team grows more comfortable with one another and as Kamala becomes more and more established. Also, what a great Jamie McKelvie cover (McKelvie also designed Kamala's costume because, presumably, everyone saw Captain Marvel's new duds and went "hey, maybe we should let Jamie McKelvie design everything forever." It's the right call). Get ready for a line of those. Annie Wu also had a nice variant cover this week.

Total score: 4/5


Thor: God of Thunder 21
Aaron (w) and Ribic (a) and Svorcina (c) and Sabino (l)

The world saved from the INFINITY crisis and the Builders, Thor returns home to find that Roxxon has built floating factories (much like Dr. Robotnik) over Broxton, Oklahoma, home of the Asgardians (or very near to it). Thor, of course, is not happy. Roz Solomon tries to stop him from attacking, promising that they'll stop Dario Agger with the help of the law but Thor refuses to hear it and goes to the floating factories. Agger and his team quickly slap a lawsuit on Thor for his attacks and promise that he'll have to pay all sorts of money while they get to stay in the air, and Thor realizes there's nothing he can do that won't make the situation far worse, though it seems things are about to get far worse as Agger has hired Ulik the Troll to take down Thor.

Story
I really like the idea of putting Thor up against big business and up against capitalism because corporations are such major businesses these days. Like in Brubaker's CAPTAIN AMERICA with the origin of the Winter Soldier and everything, someone with this much power going up against a corporation that has the ability to make money is always going to be a compelling fight because it's not just something you can punch and it's not something that's easy to bring down or to find allies to fight. Of course, Thor is a little different than Captain America in that he doesn't wear the flag on his chest and he doesn't have to worry about a whole ton of retribution. You know, he's Thor. He could kill Roxxon from the ground up and people might be pissed but, you know, he's Thor. Still, let's suspend that disbelief because this story is interesting enough to carry. 4/5

Character
What baffles me about this arc so far is that, alongside the Roxxon trouble Thor is having, we're still getting a look into the future where King Thor is battling Galactus for the remains of Earth. Typically you're fairly invested when Galactus shows up because it very likely will mean the destruction of a planet or a fight for said planet. Here there's almost no attachment because everyone on Earth is already dead except that King Thor is sad about it. That doesn't feel enough like character development to me to keep it attached here so hopefully it will lead to a little more revelation-wise. Otherwise, Thor of the present is doing pretty well since he's trying to navigate the world of business, a world he can't possibly understand, nor be thrilled about. 3/5

Writing
Dario Agger continues to be complete comic book supervillain, an immoral jerk who no one but our hero can keep in check. Though that still makes for a compelling enough villain because he's willing to go to any length to defeat our hero, I tend to prefer a little more nuance. Still, the rest of the book is solid and even the scenes between Galactus and King Thor, though they get a little repetitive because there's only so much the two can bicker about at this point, stand pretty well on their own. 4/5

Art
Esad Ribic continues to be outstanding and Eisner nominated Ive Svorcina continues to make the book stand out with his painted colors, which I've been attributing to Ribic this whole time only to find that Svorcina is really carrying that tone. It all works really well with the tone of the writing and of the story and continues to really impress. 5/5

Miscellaneous
The book seems to be back on track after taking an arc off to deal with Malekith and troubles in the nine realms. Thor's love for Earth and his attachment to humanity shine through but it'll be interesting to see how that all feels after spending so much time with Agger.

Total score: 4/5

Daredevil 1, Ms. Marvel 2

Daredevil 1
Waid (w) and Samnee (a) and J. Rodriguez (c)

Matt Murdock has officially set up shop out west and he's already taken on his first client. The deputy mayor's daughter has been kidnapped with a ransom note left demanding that she arrange amnesty for a criminal in exchange for the daughter's release. Using the note and a rag doll left behind, Matt determines the likely location of the little girl and manages to take her back from her kidnappers. As he travels the unfamiliar San Francisco terrain with the help of Kirsten McDuffie via earpiece and Google Maps, he realizes there's more to this kidnapping case than meets the eye. The armed men following him by glider (more goblin glider than hang glider) seem to be driving him away from their base rather than trying to catch him and Daredevil comes to realize that the ticking he thought to be a watch the little girl had is actually coming from inside the girl. Determining that the bomb planted inside the girl isn't a time bomb but likely a radio-detonated bomb, he rushes her into an elevator in a hospital to block the radio signal. With the girl out of harm's way, he stops his pursuers and sets things right. Three days later, the deputy mayor stops by to tell him that the girl's okay and to thank him and Kirsten in their brand new law office. However, it's not all perfect here; when asked about his former law partner, Matt says "his name was Foggy Nelson," to the bemusement of someone secretly watching.

We've had enough scares with Foggy Nelson of late that I'm not going to get all nervous about this one, as it seems to me like Matt is simply spreading rumors to protect Foggy, unable to defend himself if anyone were to come calling now that they know Matt's identity. With that out of the way, it's a great first entry, fun and fresh with the same sort of revitalized air that Waid brought to the last volume of DAREDEVIL and that readers responded to so favorably. San Francisco is an interesting new place for him as it poses questions of learning the landscape and recognizing the scents as well as a completely different structure to the buildings he's leaping on. The differences in Matt's role now that his secret is out are front and center here as the deputy mayor comes right to him for assistance and he's able to show off a little bit, telling people what hints he's picking up from his sense of smell and touch, not just having to bottle it up and investigate it himself later. Obviously the secret has come with some strings too as the deputy mayor had to step in when a landlord attempted to deny Matt office space and with the whole Foggy business. It's a really good start for this new volume and one that has a very clear shift in direction. It's nice to have a book out there that can shift from an old direction that was pretty great into a new direction that will be pretty great.

Ms. Marvel 2
G.W. Wilson (w) and Alphona (a) and Herring (c)

Kamala is a bit freaked out to find that she looks like Ms. Marvel and can't seem to understand how it happened. She's therefore happy but still a bit freaked out when she quickly changes back to regular Kamala. These changes keep happening as she rushes deeper into the mist that has settled on the city. She stumbles on Josh and Zoe leaving the party and shrinks down to hide herself, still unsure how it's happening. However, when a drunk Josh accidentally lets Zoe slip into the bay beside the docks, Kamala grows in size, now as Ms. Marvel again, and reaches a giant-sized hand and arm into the water to fish Zoe out. With Zoe saved, she rushes off again, heading home to try to figure it out. She sneaks back into the house (somewhat unsuccessfully) and is immediately set upon by her brother and her parents, who knew she snuck out and who are very disappointed in her. She decides not to tell them what's been happening, at least until she can sort things out for herself.

It's weird to think, given the way the Marvel Universe was born and grew, that this form of storytelling feels little weird in the modern Marvel age. Typically speaking, the way things happen now is that an established character will get a solo series based on their popularity or on a particularly good pitch for that character. New characters are introduced, then, in team books or even in the solo series of a different character and they're established there before potentially branching out to their own book. Even NOVA, a recent series that is a rather new character getting a new solo series, spins out from the Nova history and mythos of the Nova Corps, although it's clearly a different character and even a different part of the mythos. Here, Kamala is a brand new character with seemingly brand new powers so it requires reading a somewhat different way. It's like when you start reading comics and you're not quite sure who everyone is; you have to hope that the creative team has done enough to explain these people to you. As such, we're still in that explaining phase with Kamala as her powers start to blossom and as things start to get a little weird. That said, it's not a bad issue and it has its clear defining moments for the character, particularly as she chooses to reveal herself, unsure of her new powers as she is, to Zoe and Josh because there's some heroing that needs doing. Looking forward to seeing a little more from this series as we start to get the origin out of the way.

Comics this week

Buncha new comics out this week, ranging from pretty exciting to not so exciting for me. As is the Marvels way, I'll be highlighting the ones I am excited about. Let's get to it.

Daredevil 1
Daredevil has moved out west and is presumably about to settle in as a new number one drops this week. Excited to see how Waid and Samnee are going to shake things up for everyone's favorite blind lawyer/superhero as he makes his home in a new and alien city. Matt's journey, of course, wasn't without its own trials as has been documented in the infinite comic DAREDEVIL: ROAD WARRIOR, which I've been reading but not reviewing. I'll...I'll cover it if it matters. Super Adaptoid and the likes, you know?

Iron Man 23
Iron Man vs. Malekith in what should be a very interesting battle. Well, that's what's coming, anyway. I would guess we won't see too much of that right away because Tony still doesn't know who it is that's orchestrating the sudden capture of several of the Mandarin Rings. So with Tony hunting down Malekith and Arno left to run Troy, where will those Stark boys go next?

Ms. Marvel 2
The expectations were high for MS. MARVEL 1, a book that would create a new character, a Muslim superhero teenage girl. Most of those words, as far as publishers go, are risky ventures. I thought MS. MARVEL 1 was good but not amazing so I think the onus will really be on issue two to set up the world a little more and to show us our new hero in action.

New Avengers 15
Hey guys, is Dr. Strange going to be okay?

Winter Soldier: Bitter March 2
I really enjoyed the first issue of this series, which introduced a compelling plot, some interesting characters (perhaps made more interesting by the fact that we know who these characters will turn into), and a really swell layout and feel for the comic. I'm looking forward to this one for all those reasons and for a cover that, when I saw it last time, totally blew me away. In that way, it edges out THUNDERBOLTS 23 for my excitement, though I'm sure that cover is going to be amazing too.

This week's picks

Pretty solid week and one of the hardest weeks to layout ahead of time. I try to review books by a made-up ranking of importance every week which usually places AVENGERS titles on Wednesday, X-MEN titles on Thursday or Friday, depending on the titles, and solo titles strewn all around depending on lead character or name recognition or what have you. I can typically tell as I'm seeing the list of new comics what books are "Saturday" books. This week had so many good and important titles coming out that I ended up with no books that were truly Saturday books; a case could be made for both SUPERIOR CARNAGE ANNUAL and MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN so I went that way and lopped SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN in with them. ANYWAY. Look, I'm talking a lot about process these days which is awfully odd as it often seems I don't have one but guys, there are WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS OVER HERE.

Black Widow 3

This book just keeps on impressing me. Between a fantastic characterization the likes of which I doubted I'd be seeing so steadily and artwork that blows a lot of the other books out of the water (even many of the good books out there), BLACK WIDOW is quickly jumping the ranks and climbing into a regular spot on this list. Edmondson is building Natasha both with the dialogue and narrative she presents but also just as much in the words she doesn't say. In that way, the terseness of her narration and the shortness of her dialogue build a character far more impressively than overloading her with words to explain her actions. In my head, I can't help likening this to other spy-based shows and movies, like Burn Notice or James Bond, but I think it mixes the best of the genre, building a strong and very complex protagonist without all the hand-holding of "this is the way I'm going to pull this off." Natasha doesn't think about the actions she's taking, she just does. She, of course, particularly as we saw this issue, thinks about the job and the repercussions of the job, but she doesn't think about the actual physical steps she takes because it's all second nature to her. Amazing book so far. After a whirlwind of three releases through January and early February, Widow fans have their first wait coming as issue four won't come out until the second or so week of March. I suppose we'll have to get used to that.

Loki: Agent of Asgard 1

For my big long blurb at the top up there, I'm actually coming into this list woefully unprepared. Despite a solid 15 releases this week, all of which with some import to them, only BLACK WIDOW really jumped out at me as instantly deserving of this list. So the debut of LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD ekes its way onto this one despite a few shortcomings, just trumping MS. MARVEL, CAPTAIN AMERICA, and PUNISHER. I really like the way that Al Ewing is taking the Marvel Universe Loki and making the character his own. It's not an easy feat and it's something of a bold attempt after Kieron Gillen pretty much exclusively used the character for the past few years, doing a marvelous job in every aspect. Ewing comes in with a new look Loki and, while still harkening back to some of Gillen's stuff and, of course, the mythos at large, made sure to let everyone know this was a new and different Loki now. He goes so far as to erase his presence in the Avengers' database as a symbolic gesture and save Thor from a demon within all in his first issue. With a book that wants to focus so largely on the power of story and myth, Loki is determined to rewrite his own. Of course, Ewing left us with the hint that maybe not everyone wants the "God of Evil" writing of the character gone so quickly. I do think the story relies on cheap jokes now and again and doesn't know whether it wants to be seated in the 616 or the MCU and seems to want both worlds (though it's certainly not the only Marvel book with that problem) but it's a nice starting point and I think it will allow Ewing freedom as he moves forward.

New Avengers 14

While I still find the viewing of other Earths and the way they deal with the incursion problems (or, I suppose, are unable to deal) interesting, the draw of this issue and the reason it lands on this list this week is the characterization and the ongoing drama of Dr. Strange. Strange has undergone some compelling character shifts over the last few years, going from Sorcerer Supreme to not-Sorcerer Supreme to kind of creepy guy (in Fraction's DEFENDERS) to Sorcerer Supreme to incursion team Illuminati member. The latest shift has found him, despite all of his power, unable to really help the team with the threat of the worlds. While Reed, Tony, Beast, Black Bolt, Black Panther, and, well, not really so much Namor (but he's there and wouldn't second guess himself the way Strange does), build devices and come up with as many plans as they can to stop the incurring worlds, Strange finds himself unable to combat the threat with any of his magic. So he's thrown his soul away condemning these other worlds to death (as has been the big moral question of the series) and he hasn't even been able to help. So he's prepared to change that now and, I mean, if he's not going to use his soul anyway, what's the point of having it? So he's selling his soul for approximately five times the power he needs to accomplish what he wants to accomplish. Is Dr. Strange heading down the path of "biggest super villain ever?" Is this all worth it? Will he even survive the process? Plenty happening here and a nice look at Strange who has spent so much time of this book purposely relegated to the background.


Biggest single-line character definition of the week

Why yes, this is a convoluted bonus bit to justify the fact I've been thinking about this line all week and how I was going to fit it into my posts with CAPTAIN AMERICA not making the top picks this week. ANYWAY, were you thinking that maybe Jet Black had turned over a new leaf after playing the savior to the Phrox at the end of her time in Dimension Z? NOPE, not entirely, anyway. She's unsure about it all still but she's not ready to embrace the heroic life. The whole issue is a nice testament to it but her retort to the shopkeeper she sort-of saves is the central line of her character and the antithesis of Cap. "I was just taking out the garbage..." says the old man. Jet's response? "And that makes your defense my responsibility?" Well said, Jet. I mean, if you're a burgeoning supervillain.

Ms. Marvel 1, Loki: Agent of Asgard 1

Ms. Marvel 1
G. W. Wilson (w) and Alphona (a) and Herring (c)

Kamala Khan is a Muslim-American Pakistani from Jersey City who can't help but feel a little tied down by her family and her religion and culture. While she adheres to her culture and loves her family, she feels it's keeping her from her would-be normal life. In the spirit of rebellion and frustration, she sneaks out of her room to go to a party on the waterfront with a bunch of other high schoolers (led by blonde, attractive popular girl and purportedly fake-nice "concern troll" Zoe Zimmer). She's handed a cup of orange juice (not realizing it's spiked with vodka) and takes a sip, immediately spitting it back out but quickly realizing she's not really in the right place for her. As she leaves the party, irritated by Zimmer and others like her as well as by her friend Bruno's attempts to protect her, the Terrigen Mists sweep through the city and she's suddenly wrapped up in a cocoon. While inside, Iron Man, Captain America, and Captain Marvel come to her and begin speaking Urdu to her. They talk with her about her problems and she reveals that, if she had her ultimate wish, she'd be "beautiful and awesome and butt-kicking and less complicated," like Captain Marvel but preferring the old Ms. Marvel costume. Captain Marvel reveals to her that she's about to get her wish but that it's not going to work the way she thinks it will. She awakens to find herself trapped in the cocoon and punches her way out, shocked to find herself garbed as Ms. Marvel with long, blonde hair.

Very interesting introduction to Kamala Khan, the most talked about new superhero in quite some time (even as I write this "Ms. Marvel" is the top trend on Twitter). The book faces something of an uphill battle as writer G. Willow Wilson has to not only introduce the readers to Kamala, but to establish a lot about Kamala's culture and family. With plenty of other new characters, it's enough to throw them into their origin story and show us a couple of one-liners or fights or something else because we can basically assume they grew up in a certain environment. Here, Kamala's upbringing is core to who she is and, while that's true for everyone, it's an upbringing with which plenty of readers aren't familiar. In that way, the first handful of pages move a tiny bit slowly as there's a lot of set-up and a lot of dialogue but it all serves a really important point and it doesn't drag in the way you'd almost expect it to, which is to the book's credit. We come away from the first five or six pages with a pretty good idea of who Kamala is and what her status is as a teenager in school. The characters are all, in fact, pretty well-defined pretty quickly and it clears the way to focus on the story for the rest of the issue. It's rare to have a book that defines its brand new character so quickly but this one is certainly hitting that mark. The art, too, is a great fit for the book and the art style and colors give it a somewhat softer feel than most books of today. There's a lot to really like about this first issue and I'd trust it only goes up from here. Looking forward to what this book has in store and, for all the hype around this issue, I think it's living up to its billing.

Loki: Agent of Asgard 1
Ewing (w) and Garbett (a) and Woodard (c)

Loki, in his new body, is under the employ (if you can call it that) of the All-Mother to act as an agent of Asgard (hence the name of his new series). His newest mission? To break into Avengers tower and purge Thor of some sort of spirit inhabiting him that is making him base and bullying, turning him into...well, his younger self. Loki gets into Avengers Tower and has soon drawn the attention of every Avenger in the place (the movie team). His silver tongue and his misdirection, though, get him out of a jam long enough to go to the Avengers database and erase his file from its memory, vowing that he is not the same Loki who has attacked the Avengers so often in the past. The Avengers find him there and Thor attacks but Loki manages to stab him through the back with Sigurd's sword, a sword infused with magic that will make you suffer the truths you've ignored. In this case, it means that Thor has to look inward and realize there is, in fact, something in there with him, and it is expelled, Loki catching it in a cup of his own design. He and Thor talk it out a little while later (before Loki breaks out of holding) and Loki returns to Asgard to deliver the news and the cup to the All-Mother. As Loki leaves, the All-Mother opens the cup to find the old Loki, the original Marvel Universe Loki, inside, wishing to discuss the future.

I will say that I was a bit hesitant about this book. I didn't know Al Ewing before he came to Marvel but I liked his couple of issues on AVENGERS ASSEMBLE and then haven't quite liked his run so far on MIGHTY AVENGERS, leaving me more recently with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, a taste that thought maybe he was trying a bit too hard. Here, though, he's created a really interesting first issue that includes a lot of things that I'm eager to see more of. On the one hand, he seems to have restored a modicum of Loki's Gillen-reimagined character. I loved JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY and YOUNG AVENGERS but JIM ended with the old Loki in Kid Loki's body with Kid Loki's newfound innocence in the world. YOUNG AVENGERS was a little tough to get a read on Loki, who fought himself throughout and left the reader a little unsure what Loki would be coming into this book. This one deals a lot with stories and roles. Loki, in his very first appearance in the Marvel Universe, took on the role of god of evil, warping it enough from god of mischief to a burning evil. For Asgardians, the role they take is as important as any other decision they might make and Loki, then, was locked into this evil role until his death. And so he died and now here he is with a chance to set things right. He's still Loki, he's still the god of mischief, but he has the choice to not fall into the god of evil role. Of course, that will likely be made more difficult with the OG Loki lurking around but it's a great start to this book. As anyone who read my DEADPOOL KILLUSTRATED reviews or who has picked up on the fact that I quite like Neil Gaiman will probably realize, I'm a fan of the idea that the power of stories is great (also that I review comics for FUN - or profit, if anyone wants to hire me to do this). So I like the turn this series is taking to make Loki and Asgard mythical in the storied sense, especially on the heels of a book like JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY which focused very much on that idea. I hope this book continues in that manner, it should be a good run.

Comics this week

Geez, lot of new books out there this week. Plenty to look forward to and more than enough to make up a top five pre-game book. Lotta number ones out there this week and they're just about all worth checking out. GUYS, this week of 16 new releases is SURPRISINGLY TOUGH to narrow down.

All-New Invaders 2
Still looking to see where this series is going to end up. I feel like the first issue was okay as far as introductions go and for getting a feel on the story but now we're primed to actually see the start of a team-up here and as an Invaders fan, I'm hoping that it goes the way I'd like it to go rather than the way I fear it going. Was that broad enough for you?

Black Widow 3
With so many number ones out there this week and so many other books deserving attention that surely won't get it because series launches are just more important in terms of an anticipatory pre-game post, it's crazy to me that I'm starting this post off with two books that are past number one but not fully established yet. This one though, unlike ALL-NEW INVADERS, gets the call because it's been absolutely great so far and so, while I'm excited to see how Edmondson and Noto keep creating Natasha's world, this one gets the pick because it's perhaps the one I'm most looking forward to this week as a comic I know will be good. Very cool to have that in a book so early into its run.

Ms. Marvel 1
Finally the long-awaited Kamala Khan, star of newspaper articles the country over when she was announced, debuts in the Marvel Universe officially as the new Ms. Marvel. I'm really interested to check this book out and you should be too. There are people out there saying this is just a big PR move, meant to force diversity into books. To that I say wait 'til the story comes out to show it was a story worth telling. I ALSO say that comics NEED more diversity so whatever the reason for putting more diversity in a book, as long as we end up with more diversity I'm happy. Looking forward to the introduction of a new character to lead a book. Everyone check it out, give it a couple issues, then decide.

New Avengers 14
I almost scrapped this one on the list for CAPTAIN AMERICA which, of course, I love or LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD which debuts this week from writer Al Ewing and puts the new decidedly older than Kid Loki but decidedly younger than grumps Loki and more a Tom Hiddleston-based Loki in a new role as an...well, agent of Asgard but, at the end of the day, I'm very excited to see NEW AVENGERS again. I refuse to get sick of this book and, along with HAWKEYE, I feel like it's one we've seen less and less of as time has gone by, like we had a surge at the start of the series and then an incredible drought. Oh well, it's out this week, go buy it.

Punisher 1
My fondness for the new BLACK WIDOW series carries over here as I'm genuinely interested in the new PUNISHER series written by BLACK WIDOW scribe Nathan Edmondson. This is a character I've never truly liked in the Marvel Universe (though I've found myself liking certain writers' takes on him) and I'm recommending checking out the new series over, say, the conclusion of MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN, a series I've very much enjoyed, or the start of the new WOLVERINE series, based on a series I very much did not enjoy, or X-MEN 10, another presumably crucial piece of the only core X-MEN book I'm actually getting into, or IRON MAN 21, another step in the very intriguing Ten Rings storyline, or AVENGERS 25, a book that I'm sure will be very cool, or SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN 8, a return to the main story after a brief interlude seeing Beetle's origin. I think that about covers all the books I needed to cover in this post. Anyway, this PUNISHER series could be good.

New Ms. Marvel series announced!

You did not read that wrong, there's a new MS. MARVEL series coming to Marvel in 2014. This is not the end for Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel who, as I mentioned in my NYCC news post, is getting a Captain Marvel relaunch next year. Instead, this is a new book focused on a new character who, inspired by Captain Marvel and with powers all her own, will be taking up the Ms. Marvel mantle. It's only been announced in the last couple of days but already the news is making waves in both the comics community and the world at large as the biggest reveal of this news has been that the new character herself, Kamala Khan, is a Muslim-American teen, the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, living in New Jersey. It's a bold decision and it's one that, perhaps surprisingly, has been apparently met with a lot of support, according to Marvel editor Tom Brennan on Twitter:

The @marvel e-mail server has blown up with mail from folks excited about the new Ms. Marvel. Way to defy my expectations, humanity!

— Tom Brennan (@Brennanator) November 6, 2013

I think it's a great move and I'm really excited for the series, which will be written by G. Willow Wilson (a woman writing a comic about a woman!) and illustrated by Adrian Alphona. There's not too too much more about the book out there yet but expect to see Kamala's first official appearance in Captain Marvel 17, out this week and reviewed MERE MINUTES FROM NOW (I'm writing both AT THE SAME TIME, dear reader, so there's a little sneak peek at the process, YOU'RE WELCOME). Learn more from Marvel editor Sana Amant on Twitter @MiniB622 and maybe read this article from ABC News about it.