Winter Soldier - Bitter March 3, Nova 16

Winter Soldier - Bitter March 3
Remender (w) and Boschi (a) and Chuckry w/ Wilson (c) and Cowles (l)

Ran Shen's plan to get Peter and Mila Hitzig out of Hydra's clutches has put him at odds with the Soviet's plan and thereby put him at odds with the Winter Soldier. To make matters worse, it's also put him at odds with Peter Hitzig's plan, who wants to return to Hydra with his wife. All these plans collide on the train as Hydra enforcers Shocky Dan (maybe the best name?) and the Drain have shown up. After an all-out fight that leaves Shocky Dan with a melted face and Shen with a couple bullet holes, Winter Soldier makes his way for the scientists. Shen recovers enough to use some adrenaline (or maybe Infinity formula? Who knows?) from Fury's cache and is able to use Shocky Dan's shocking gloves to rush Hydra on the other side of the train. The Drain, who has already had Peter Hitzig kill himself, tumbles out of the train with Winter Soldier, though he's wearing a jetpack so neither fall to their death immediately. Shen goes to Mila and tries to think of a new plan but the bomb Hydra left on the train puts everything on something of a faster timetable.

Story
All the plot lines involving the Hitzigs have come to a head here as Hydra goes up against SHIELD goes up against Winter Soldier. On top of it, it all happens on a train with a bomb in it. Couldn't ask for a more action-packed story. Plus, a story with Shocky Dan and the Drain? How could we be so lucky? 5/5

Character
Though Shen is ostensibly our protagonist here, the key character developments come from the Winter Soldier himself. Shen only has development insofar as "he's a pretty tough guy." Winter Soldier, though, gets another random flash of Cap which tells him not to kill Shen when he's badly wounded and defeated. The issue also ends for him as the Drain sees into his soul to realize he's been brainwashed and who he really is, coming dangerously close to revealing everything to Bucky before directing him to kill himself. There's not a lot that can be done with character here (we know Winter Soldier has to survive and we know that he's probably not going to learn that he's Bucky Barnes) but what can be done is done interestingly. 4/5

Writing
Remender continues to hit on a great tone here as everything starts to go crazy. It's action-packed and it's tense but it manages to the pseudo-noir feel consistent even as these crazier elements, like Shocky Dan and the Drain, are introduced. The book moves pretty well and our villains are enticing enough to keep everything particularly tense, even we start to gain sympathy and worry for Mila. 5/5

Art
The art in this book is unflinchingly good as Roland Boschi nails the look of every character, making everyone unique while still not cramming in so much detail that it draws the eye away from the story. His Winter Soldier is appropriately terrifying just as his Drain is appropriately creepy. The colors fit the style and the tone perfectly with a lot of reds and blues, nothing too showy. The colors in the flashback moments as Bucky involuntarily pictures Cap are a little more muted and serve to show us the separation of time and tone really well. 5/5

Miscellaneous
This cover doesn't blow my mind the way the last one did but I still rather like it. I'm also into the idea that someone with psychic sorts of abilities could see into Bucky's past through all the brainwashing and that they could just as easily undo his training if they had a shot at it. Hadn't really considered it before but it's pretty neat to see now.

Total score: 5/5


Nova 16
Duggan (w) and Baldeon (p) and Pallot (i) and Sotocolor (c) and Deschesne (l)

Nova and Bill have tracked Skaarn only to find that he's armed himself with incredibly powerful weapons. Bill is removed from the fight quickly as Skaarn draws his attention away by attacking the bay of his own ship holding the Korbonites. Nova sticks with Skaarn but quickly finds himself outmatched. He regains the edge when Skaarn begins to threaten Earth, nearly pulverizing Skaarn. Instead, he captures Skaarn and decides to hand him over to Cadivan the Mighty so he can get the bounty in exchange for the Nova helmet he still has. The whole mission has set Nova back on a path to find his father, which will likely be made more difficult by the fact that his family is being evicted back on Earth.

Story
The continuing fight between Bill, Nova, and Skaarn finally reaches its climax here and, as we've seen a couple times already, Sam seems to have a wealth of power inside him that really explodes outward when his adrenaline kicks in. The defeat of Skaarn and Sam's grown-up decision to not kill him and to let someone else get the credit for taking him down while he gets to give a Nova corpsmen a proper burial make for good story points as well as good character moments. This series has plenty of directions it can move in and Duggan is setting himself up a nice little corner of the universe to play around in. 5/5

Character
I've already said a good deal about Sam's character here but it's important to note that the writing style is really paying off. He's clearly still childish but he's making strides to be more of a hero and it's shining through here. Nova's starting to understand his role in the universe a little bit more and starting to gain a little bit of Spider-Man's much vaunted "responsibility." Of course, that responsibility is a universal thing but it's also going to mean at home which could lead to much more. 5/5

Writing
Pretty much feel like I've covered this one already. The writing is pretty sharp and the characters all come across nicely. The threats are big enough to be worrisome but never so big that this book shifts its tone from "a book driven by a child superhero." Strong stuff here. 5/5

Art
David Baldeon's pencils and Terry Pallot's inks are sharp and clear, further upholding the "book driven by a child superhero" tone and making sure that it never strays too far away from the Spider-Man style of books (that's the best comparison to draw to this book, really, and it feels like the comparison they'd want me to make, so I think that's all positive). The colors are brighter and the effects are bigger during some of the fights and it all matches the almost colorful tone of the book. 5/5

Miscellaneous
I really enjoyed this issue. Beta Ray Bill's involvement didn't hurt as I'm a big ol' sucker for that guy but I think this arc and this issue have really stood out as defining pieces for this NOVA run. There's plenty going on and plenty to look forward to for this book.

Total score: 5/5

Hulk 1, Wolverine 4

Hulk 1
Waid (w) and Bagley (p) and Hennessy (i) and Keith (c) and Petit (l)

Bruce Banner has been shot by a mysterious marksman who had been hired to land a perfect shot in the back of Banner's head so it would shut his brain down before Hulk could come out. With Banner down, he's been delivered to the secret organization that hired the marksman in the first place. They've also recruited the world's foremost brain surgeon, a contemporary of Banner's, to remove the bullet from his brain and save the man. The doctor manages to do it but refuses to implant the device the organization wants him to implant, which would allow them to trigger a Hulk-out. When he refuses, he considers killing Banner to spare him from this but doesn't have to worry about the moral implications long since his anesthesiologist, a woman who was, as a child, was saved by the Hulk, revives him in time for Hulk to appear and get out of the area. With Banner out in the world somewhere, Coulson and Maria Hill set out to find him. They eventually do, only to find that Banner is badly brain damaged and, according to his doctor, will never be smart again.

Story
Waid's previous INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK run found the genius Banner using the weapon Hulk as a means to work in a lab and deliver amazing scientific advancements while creating a legacy for himself. Now the roles are drastically changed as Hulk rescues Banner from probable death but not before Banner's brain is severely damaged. No one can argue that this changes things pretty radically. We still have plenty left to understand about the new situation but we're off to an interesting start. 5/5

Character
It's a little hard to get a big read on "character" in an issue where the main character is only conscious and present for a couple of pages. There's still some interesting character work insofar as the brain surgeon goes and insofar as that brain surgeon knows Banner and how he views Banner. It's a sort of third hand look at Banner where we see the surgeon's opinion of Banner from back when they were in school together and from newspaper articles he's read since. Not a ton to be gained with a character like Hulk, who has been around for so long. This is just kind of an interesting way to re-establish our character and his place in the world at the start of a new series. 4/5

Writing
We're still a little too much in the story for a lot to have been explained so far but the writing works pretty well for what it needs to do here. It catches the reader and draws him or her in while still not giving too much information to put the reader off. As I said, it rehashes a little bit about Banner that we don't necessarily need if we're longtime Hulk readers but it at least presents it differently to keep things a little new while still welcoming new readers onboard without much problem. 5/5

Art
Bagley's art works here as he draws lots of characters who will likely never appear again. It gets the point across; there are plenty of people around. Interested to see how the series continues as his Hulk looks pretty great. 5/5

Miscellaneous
It's a bold new direction for the book and one that I think we'll have to wait a little longer on to really make a judgement about it. I liked Waid's last direction and the focus it put on Banner so I'm wary of this new approach but I'm willing to follow Waid as he continues.

Total score: 4/5


Wolverine 4
Cornell (w) and Stegman w/ Baldeon (p) and Morales, Stegman, and Hanna (i) and Curiel (c) and Petit (l)

Before Wolverine set off to join Offer's gang, he cut his ties with the X-Men, angry that they're all over him while he tries to figure himself out, and even goes to Kitty Pryde with Scott's team (the location of which he apparently knows) so he can threaten her for some weird reason. He then meets up with SHIELD Agent Monkton to discuss going undercover in Offer's group. Monkton will go in, as an LMD, to allow Wolverine to kill him in front of Offer to establish his loyalty, hence why Wolverine killed the reporter in the first issue. Now he's firmly established himself as an ally to Offer, who is trying to get into Sabretooth's good books.

Story
Wolverine is a spy for Maria Hill but there is always the worry that he'll grow to like his new teammates (as Monkton warns him) enough to not want to harm them if the time should come. Still, it's a better story than "Wolverine has joined up with a crime boss because he's having a midlife crisis." 4/5

Character
I've found some of the character decisions strange so far but I'd written it off as some sort of unknown plot point to that point. I was right and now I do like what's happening a bit more, though I cannot get past the threatening Kitty business. I just don't follow it. Maybe he's trying to burn his bridges to make his alibi more believable but I'm just not sure who would have checked? This way, he just comes off like a crazy old man. In a way, these sort of freak outs make more sense because you put them in context of a wounded man who has been severely shaken but it almost doesn't go big enough to give that. Instead, he almost comes off as petty and strange. 3/5

Writing
There is still a little over-explanation here, even as the series needs over-explanation to say what's going on. That's not the sort of over-explanation I'm talking about. There's over-explanation in people explaining Wolverine's current behavior. I don't need to hear five different people talking about why Wolverine is so defensive right now. Still, happy to see now that the story is going somewhere rather than just trying to be gritty and different. 4/5

Art
I like Stegman's work a good deal and I like the way he draws action particularly, an important aspect for a Wolverine title. I was a little put off at how ugly Wolverine tended to be in this book but then thought about it more and actually almost preferred it. Wolverine was never meant to be a poster boy sort of good looking guy. Bob Hoskins was nearly cast to play him in a movie, you guys. Like everyone, his look changes frequently, but it has certainly erred more towards good-looking and gruff or animalistic in recent days. Making him kind of ugly doesn't hurt this book. I still, though, hate the new design of Sabretooth and don't understand why every would-be crime boss has to be a GIANT. 4/5

Miscellaneous
Still a little bit slower than I'd like this book to be moving but I am happy that it's moving in some sort of direction. It's hard to get past the somewhat slower tone of the book still but knowing that it's not trying too hard to reinvent the wheel certainly helps things.

Total score: 3/5

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

Sexual harassment in the comics industry

I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this not because it's not important or because I don't have strong feelings about it but because it's been talked about at great length already by people far smarter and more eloquent and more connected to it than I am. From Jordie Bellaire's promise of a world of hurt to Andy Diggle's call for publishers to step into this unfortunately ongoing problem to Comics Alliance's Andy Khouri's letter to fake geek guys to Marvel editor Tom Brennan's recent blog post about the recent threats to Janelle Asselin, whose smart and poignant article about a terrible comic cover kicked off this newest sexual harassment debate, there are plenty of places for you to read all sorts of things to cover this. Still, not saying anything feels tantamount to supporting the flaws in the industry. I wish that this wasn't something I had to talk about because I wish it wasn't something that was so pervasive in an industry I adore.

I love comics because comic books are an incredible medium for storytelling, one unique in its layout and its ability to express certain ideas. While superhero comics are the biggest chunk of the market and are the focus of this blog, I love so many other books and I respect that so many other sorts of genres can exist outside of superheroes. However, it tends to be one of those industries that's often hard to love because of its history. There are countless examples of misogyny, sexism, and racism throughout the long and storied history of comics. Still, I like to think we live in a better world now. Of course, I say this as a white American man. I know how easy it is for me to say those things because I'll never have to worry about rape threats or racial intolerance. Like Brennan said in his post, I'll only ever have to worry about how it effects my loved ones, never me. It's unbelievable and it's something we never should have had to be concerned about but it absolutely shouldn't be an issue in the 21st century.

People can use the internet to hide behind anonymous names and to say unconscionable, indefensible, horrible things seemingly without repercussion. Every time people who disagree with them refuse to speak out, it gives them the power to keep saying it. If you live in America (or so many other countries in this day and age), you do have freedom of speech. You can say things. Good work. But that doesn't mean your words don't have consequences. It doesn't mean that you can make threats and attack people with impunity. And it doesn't give any of us the right to sit back and let people get away with it. Speak out. If you see commenters or people on Twitter or on Tumblr or anywhere else making threats or saying terrible things, don't sit idly by. Like I said, there are far smarter and far more interesting people saying things like this all over the internet but I'm addressing it here to make you aware of it, in case you aren't. Sorry if you only come here for the reviews or news or whatever. They'll come back as soon as I write tonight's last post (Actually, the next one will post at 6 PM EST so even sooner than when I write the next one). Thanks for sitting through this one. Sorry if it didn't say anything. Just click on those links at the top and imagine I said them?

Superior Spider-Man 31

Superior Spider-Man 31
Slott (s) and Gage (w) and Camuncoli (p) and Dell and Pallot (i) and Fabela (c) and Eliopolous (l)

Peter Parker is back and he's ready to start setting things right. Carlie explains a little of what's happened to him at Parker Labs and he sets off, gaining the trust of Spider-Man 2099 on the way and helping where he can as he moves towards the Green Goblin and Anna Maria. The two spiders fight their way to the Alchemax building and "rescue" Liz Allan and son Normie, as well as Tiberius Stone (all of whom are still, you know, pretty evil, but they pretend they're not). As 2099 leads them out, Peter heads for the roof where Goblin has Anna Maria strapped to a pumpkin bomb. Goblin quickly realizes it's Peter, not Doc Ock, and begins to flee. Peter follows and unmasks him, revealing that it is Norman Osborn but with a completely different face, one that will be less recognizable. Peter's mini-spiderbots flood Norman's face and inject him with the goblin cure just as Anna Maria frees herself from her bonds and flings herself from the roof. Spider-Man catches her and Goblin and brings them back down to the ground, where Goblin still manages to escape with the help of Liz Allan. Goblin is devoid of his strength and stamina but he's also cured of his madness; the next time he goes after Spider-Man, it'll be at full mind power. Spider-Man meets with Anna Maria and learns that she's totally in love with the Peter she knew and he realizes that not everyone gets to win.

Story
This is it, the big finale of the 31 issue SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN. It's a strong issue, one that wraps up GOBLIN NATION nicely and one that ensures that the right people know Spider-Man is back to being Spider-Man. There are still plenty of hints at new possible stories and a bonus mini-issue at the end (written by Gage with art from Will Sliney and Edgar Delgado) shows where some of the people in his life might end up now (MJ is out of his life but still in the city, Carlie's leaving New York, Jonah Jameson has resigned). It's a story people knew was coming but no one anticipated a 30-issue run and it wraps up neatly here, setting Peter Parker up for a totally fresh start in just two weeks with AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1. 5/5

Character
Peter Parker is back from the kind-of dead so that's really the big character change to look at. He's instantly back to quipping and helping out non-lethally, returning immediately to "no one dies" mentality. The idea that his personality is so pervasive, that it's so intimately known to everyone, plays a role here as people begin instantly to trust him again, even despite everything that's happened. It's a nice moment when he quips at Goblin and Goblin instantly realizes it's Peter and not Doc Ock and it's a testament to the strength of Peter Parker. There are some things that feel maybe like they're being set right a little too quickly if only because we're expecting him to have a hard road back to being a hero, but it all works here and it's nice to see. 5/5

Writing
Spider-Man books still have a bit of a tendency to over-explain and this issue is no different. Typically I'd have issues with that but somehow Spider-Man feels grandfathered in to over-explanation (I don't always feel this way with Spider-Man but I'm feeling good that Peter's back). Still, I'm not sure I needed shots of what seems like everyone he knows going "well geez, at least he seems to be back to normal!" You can leave some things for us to find out. Also there's a bit too much 2099 talk here and UGH do I hate 2099 talk. Nervous about when the new SPIDER-MAN 2099 series kicks off because I'll have to put that hatred aside. Anyway, certainly on par with SPIDER-MAN writing, maybe a hair better. 4/5

Art
I often confuse (on name alone) Giuseppe Camuncoli with Marco Checchetto, which is totally unfair and often hurts how much I like the art in a book. I tend to be lukewarm on Camuncoli's stuff and I really like Checchetto's. In this issue though, Camuncoli shines. The art is easy to follow, even considering how much ground Spider-Man is covering, how many fights he's entering into, and how many characters look similar to one another. With Peter Parker's return, he has to come face-to-face with a slew of people and Camuncoli does them all justice. Solid work. 5/5

Miscellaneous
What more is there to say? Peter Parker is back.

Total score: 5/5




Sorry guys, got a bit of a busy day today so I'll be back later to review the other books I have scheduled for today but for now, this is just a single-issue review. Figured if any book deserved to have a light shined on it this week, it'd be this one. The blog kicked off with a single-issue review of the death of Peter Parker, seems fitting to dedicate a single-issue review to his rebirth.

Amazing X-Men 6, Wolverine and the X-Men 3

Amazing X-Men 6
Aaron (w) and C. Stewart (a) and Rosenberg (c) and Caramagna (l)

Nightcrawler has returned and he's got to make the best of things knowing that he can never return to the afterworld. He watches as a SHIELD transport takes Azazel to Ryker's while he's supposed to be at a party with all of his old pals. Feeling okay that Azazel is in custody, he returns and mingles, even welcoming Cyclops, Emma Frost, and Kitty into the bar to celebrate the night. However, he realizes that Mystique is among the gathering and she figures out where Azazel is. He tries to stop her from attacking him and/or setting him free but cannot stop the red bamfs from freeing Azazel. He returns to the bar with Wolverine as Mystique and Azazel join forces.

Story
With Nightcrawler's return now cemented, we see where things are going to go next. This feels like a necessary issue, one where Nightcrawler meets again with all his old pals and even with Mystique. The team-up of Nightcrawler's parents isn't necessarily the most thrilling team-up in the world but I guess we'll see where it leads. 3/5

Character
As of right now, at least, AMAZING X-MEN is really Nightcrawler's book. That could very well change as Nightcrawler's return is less of a surprise to everyone around and as his own book continues, but for now Aaron is one of the key people writing Nightcrawler and I appreciate his take on him. It's very clear that something is changed about Nightcrawler and there's certainly a sadness to him that hadn't been there before. I'm interested to see how he takes this. 5/5

Writing
The writing feels at times a little incongruous as Nightcrawler's depression drives the better part of this book only to be replaced by his parents bickering and CONTINUALLY referencing the fact that they're his parents. Also, I'd be fine if they just flat-out dropped the "Scott Summers leads the outcast X-Men" storyline and mixed all of them back in with the rest of the mutants without any sort of explanation. They so constantly meet up with the other mutants in the world that I feel like everyone is just dying for this all to be over and if it's my go-ahead they're waiting for, they have it. 3/5

Art
I like Cameron Stewart's art here and it's a rather nice change from series regular Ed McGuinness, with whom I sometimes have issues (particularly in the way he draws women's faces). It's strong art here and it works equally well in the calm and happiness of the bar and in the darkness and action of the fights. 5/5

Miscellaneous
It's always nice to see that a resurrection in comics does have some effect on both the recently deceased and on the ones who it affected. I'm interested to see how Nightcrawler handles himself in the coming months of Marvel comics and how his resurrection impacts the rest of the universe but so far I'm liking Aaron's take more than Claremont's (still very early).

Total score: 3/5


Wolverine and the X-Men 3
Latour (w) and Asrar (a) and Silva (c) and Cowles (l)

Askani John injures Wolverine and their Bamf enough that he and Storm can't rush back to the school quickly enough to stop John's attack on Evan. Meanwhile, Edan Younge of the new Phoenix Corporation enters Quentin Quire's mind to tell him that he's bound someday to wield the Phoenix Force and that he should be prepared better than what the X-Men can offer and to tell him that he's lost his edge. Quire doesn't take kindly to this and he uses Wolverine and Storm's appearance to force Younge out of his mind and to leave with a Bamf. Back at the school, the students step forward to try to defend Evan from John but John forces an image on all of them of the future Evan would give them as the new Apocalypse.

Story
There is a somewhat interesting story here and it's the story that things have been heading towards since Wolverine delivered Evan to the Jean Grey School however long ago he did it. It's a little bit muddy right now because there's just so much going on and the Phoenix Corporation confuses things a bit so it's a little hard to see how things are really shaking out. Still, things are getting interesting as Quentin thinks about his potential and, perhaps, his responsibility and as everyone else is forced to see what Evan could become. 4/5

Character
There's a nice moment for Storm in here as everyone is forced to respect how incredible she is. It's probably the best character moment in the book as Quentin gets the focus but continues to be rather obnoxious. Even when he gets a nice moment as he refuses to be defined by all the people trying to do so, he's still just a little too quippy and too...I don't know, know-it-all teen for me? I think that's in his design so it's not anything Latour or Asrar is responsible for but it's hard to put him in the center of the book and ask us to care unduly. 3/5

Writing
As I said, I think the story in here is going where it needs to go and in an interesting direction but it is a little hard to follow at times. It may just be a result of too many plot points converging at the start of a new book and things will fall into place more readily when we've got a little ground under our feet. Still, the rapidly switching narrative and the jumping timeline make it a little harder than it feels like maybe it needs to be. It doesn't read particularly quickly either so expect to need to double back on dialogue a few times in the course of the book. 3/5

Art
It feels like Mahmud Asrar is getting better and better every time out. His art is impressive and the people that he draws are all fairly expressive and he illustrates the calm as well as he does the action. There are a couple times here where it can get a little hard to follow what's happening, particularly as it pertains to the Bamfs, but overall some good art here. 4/5

Miscellaneous
I'll never penalize a book for referencing Remender's unbelievably great UNCANNY X-FORCE so this book may be losing points here and there for a convoluted plot and under-explained new characters but it won't lose points for shooting for the stars here.

Total score: 3/5

X-Men 13, Uncanny X-Men 20, X-Force 3

X-Men 13
Wood (w) and C. Mann (p) and C. Mann and S. Mann (i) and Mounts (c) and Caramagna (l)

With a moment to rest following Arkea's defeat, the team ponders where they've been and where they're going. Psylocke encourages Storm to officially make them a team and own up to being its leader, Rachel Grey tries to get over her crush on John Sublime (which may turn into a revenge on Sublime), Monet pushes herself harder to eliminate the weakness she found against the Sisterhood, and Jubilee tries to find her place in the school with Shogo. They're thrust into their new mission, though, as a professional bad guy (that may as well be his description) claiming to be Shogo's father begins to attack the school, promising that everyone will die unless he gets his hands on the boy.

Story
Though we're entering quickly into the new BLOODLINES storyline and this bad guy who goes by the name "The Future," this is meant to act more as a downtime issue. The action doesn't kick in until about halfway through as it's more important here to understand what the team is going through. It's a needed break in the action but, as with all serial media, it can't last. The Future is maybe a little weak so far in his actual background (he really does just seem like a generic really bad guy, though that may be developed further) but he does seem already to be an impressive adversary. 4/5

Character
With a break in the action, the character takes an important role and Wood does a good job taking advantage of it here. Psylocke wants Storm to be the Ororo that gets up in people's faces and that doesn't back down and they have an exchange that works really well. Still not totally sold on Rachel Grey in this book but I think Wood can use her as a good foil to Storm. Monet's determination is right on the money and Jubilee's restlessness towards not understanding her new role is solid. 4/5

Writing
Pretty solid writing throughout. The story comes across well and Wood does a good job switching between characters and even shifting the tone when the action starts to pick up. 5/5

Art
Clay Mann draws really impressive people and some pretty good action, though there's not a lot here. Still, the range from Ororo and Storm's talk to Monet and Rockslide's punching to Jubilee's dancing is a pretty wide range and Mann handles it well. 5/5

Miscellaneous
A first issue of a new arc is hard, particularly one following an arc that was so long. I think Wood and company gave just the right amount of downtime here before diving into the new story. Still not totally sold on the Future (also his name is the Future). This issue also has a little mini-story at the end by Wood and artist Phil Briones called BROMO-SUPERIOR where Hellion, Rockslide, Anole, and Broo go to train in the Danger Room on the heels of the Future's first attack on the Jean Grey School.

Total score: 4/5


Uncanny X-Men 20
Bendis (w) and Bachalo (p) and Townsend, Faucher, Holdredge, Mendoza, Olazaba, and Vey (i) and Bachalo (c) and Caramagna (l)

After the attack in Chicago, Scott decides to check in with Maria Hill personally, using the Stepfords to get into SHIELD unnoticed and ask his questions of her. They search her mind, to which she submits willingly, and find that she also believes that SHIELD could be behind the Sentinel attacks but knows little more (though she has an attraction to Scott because Bendis). Scott and the Stepfords leave and, back at base, realize that whoever is targeting them must be using Cerebro technology to do it. The list of people who can use Cerebro tech is very short and Scott narrows in on Hank McCoy. He and Magik pay Hank a visit at the Jean Grey School but are quickly found by SHIELD and attacked.

Story
Scott's war continues just as Mystique and Sabretooth continue their fight with SHIELD, Mystique still posing as Dazzler. It's hard to really get in the head of some of these characters because I'll likely never face the persecution and fear on these guys but I find it hard to buy that Scott would even feel the need to check on Hank. They weakly try to explain it all away by saying that it's probably not him but who knows, he certainly hates Scott these days, but it's hard to see even the most persecuted and feared man believing that Hank McCoy would employ Sentinels. Also, Maria Hill having a crush on Scott is INFURIATING. Bendis can't go two minutes without introducing another love interest for so many characters. 4/5

Character
Scott's character is so often in flux these days that it's hard to kind of pinpoint if he's in character or not. It's also hard to tell about Maria Hill because she's sometimes savvy and crafty and sometimes totally off-the-handle obsessed with one aspect of her job. I don't think these problems are this issue's, I think these are line problems at Marvel. Still, I'm going to lump the score for Maria Hill's crush on Scott into here so... 2/5

Writing
The tone works for this issue as things jump around pretty quickly to disorient the reader. In addition, it does feel like it's coming from a darker place right now, which is how things surrounding Scott should feel. The Maria Hill attraction thing (no, I'm not going to get over it and I HATE Maria Hill) feels a little out of place amidst all the serious Sentinel things going on. 4/5

Art
I like Chris Bachalo's art a lot and I think he does an interesting job matching tone here. There are times where I think that his art is almost too cartoony for how dark this tries to go but overall I think he manages to balance it out with a seriousness that matches Scott's concerns and the war designation Scott is so eager to give out. Also, I will admit that I'm still not really onboard with a lot of these costume designs. 4/5

Miscellaneous
I really don't think that my aversion to the Maria Hill-Scott Summers thing is out of place here. I think Hill is a stronger character if she's not obsessed with Summers based in part out of some schoolgirl crush on him. On top of that, it is one of my frequent complaints about Bendis that he tries to overload with love triangles and romances that I feel tend to bog things down. Don't get me wrong; there are romances and love triangles elsewhere throughout comics and every other sort of media, but we don't need it in every single comic.

Total score: 3/5


X-Force 3
Spurrier (w) and R. Kim (a) and Sabino (l)

X-FORCE needs to find Volga, their suspect for the bombing at Alexandria. Psylocke combs Cerebro to find Volga but settles for finding people who are thinking about Volga, honing in on one mutant in particular, a teleporter named Antonio Aggasiz who had escaped but was again captured by Volga and terrified of him. The team travels to Brazil only to find that many mutants are being held there because their home countries wanted them secreted away and punished for being mutants. With guards keeping an eye on Aggasiz, the other inmates ask to be let out of their cells to help take down the guards. Cable accepts their help but Psylocke refuses to let them become killers and puts everyone to sleep while she goes in and kills all the guards. She wakes the team but before they can get anything from Aggasiz, Volga himself appears in some sort of energy projection and kills the teleporter.

Story
The plot thickens as Volga seems to have some sort of powers though it had seemed for all intents and purposes previously that he was just a regular human. In addition, the look at the rendition of these mutants is as dark as anything else we've seen pertaining to these mutants and really helps illustrate the sort of conditions mutants live in more than fights with various supervillains could. 5/5

Character
Psylocke narrates this issue though her narration is far more sparse than the previous two issues from Cable and Marrow's perspectives. Instead, she puts her thoughts on her sleeve this time out, snapping at Marrow for calling her ability and methods into question and putting everyone to sleep before admitting to her team that she sought out X-Force, unlike the recruitment of the others, because she can't stand to be away from the killing. It's dark but it's really well done and we get a couple hints at more interesting developments down the road as she reveals she knows why everyone else joined up. Something interesting also happening with Marrow as her language centers do, as Psylocke threatened, seem to be on the fritz. 5/5

Writing
A really good comic book will more or less have this "writing" section covered based on the "story" and "character" sections because the plot, tone, and characters will mesh so well that I'll have nothing to add. Such seems to be the case here as Spurrier is showing us the world that Cable fears is out there already in this darker issue. 5/5

Art
I wasn't sure how I liked Rock-He Kim's art when the initial preview art for the series came out. Much like so many books with a steady artist, though, it's grown on me and come to match the tone so inextricably that I can't imagine another way it could be illustrated (though I saw preview pages recently for an issue done by another artist so I guess I find out). 5/5

Miscellaneous
The team is starting to come together here and the closer look at Psylocke really helps to establish some of the things Spurrier wants established. In this case, she shines a light on Marrow (who helps her own case by talking so much this issue) and on Fantomex (there's a great moment when she corrects his faux French and calls him a fraud but then later reveals that he's joined with the team because he needs help and won't ask for it). Even MeMe has a nice couple moments here. And her name is actually MeMe and not Meme. Who knew? Such is the flaw of writing in all capital letters all the time.

Total score: 5/5