X-Men First Class #14 - Marvel

I'm not sure what the point of this whole story was . . other than to introduce us to an early version of Machine Man . . and the Lava-men. I've said this before, but I much prefer the teen-age version of these heroes to their trodden-down adult counterparts. They just seem so much more full of life. They have hope and anticipation. Don't get me wrong, I love the X-Men . . and every one of their titles. However, to me, it just seems like they've become so overly obsessed with the future and with trying to figure out how to change it. They've become so worried about whatever actions that they may take that will lead them down the road to failure that they often are restrained by the ropes of their own insecurities. Sure we'd all like to know how things turn out in the future, but . . . it really seems to be just as much of a burden 'knowing'. I say . . live life everyday to it's fullest. What will happen . .will happen. Sure we'd like to avoid 'mistakes', but . . the 'mistakes' are what makes us who we are today. So if we could learn how to avoid all of the 'mistakes', we may change the future, but . . we also wouldn't be the same person. Sorry, just a little nugget of insight there. Anyways, I really do enjoy this book. Sure it's 'simpler' and less involved, or intricate, but . . who cares? It's the kids that we've come to love over the years, in the prime of their life, enjoying their new-found powers and friends. Jeff Parker does a fantastic job keeping all the kids in character, and Roger Cruz works his wonders with the art. Every issue comes across bright and energetic. What more could we ask for?

Wolverine #67 - Marvel

This was an interesting tale. Right now it appears that we have the Logan & Clint Barton show going on. Plus . . it's a road show. It may be coming to a city near you. Basically, what I think is going on here . . Clint's come to ask Logan to take a trip across the country with him. All the heroes fell . . 50 years ago . . and the US was turned into a playground for the villains. The strongest rose to the top and marked their territories. The boys are going to have to make their way through those territories to get to the East coast. Whatever happened on the Day the Heroes Fell, left Logan a shadow of the man he once was. He's sworn to be a pacifist, and hasn't 'popped' his claws since. He obtained a ranch in California . . Hulk territory . . also a wife and a couple of kids. He's pretty out of touch with what's happening in the rest of the world. So I think that this little trip of Clint's is all a ruse to get Logan back out into the world . . and help him find his inner demons . . or Wolverines. That's not to say there's not going to be the usual plethora of 'Marvel-ous' surprises along the way. When the boys make it to Las Vegas . . I'm sorry, Hammer Falls . . . so named because this is where Thor's hammer found it's final resting place . . they find out that Clint's 3rd wife, Tonya, lives there. The surprise is she's Peter Parker's youngest daughter, and their daughter Ashley, who looks like Spider-girl, has been abducted by one of Kingpin's gangs. They have word that he plans on executing her the next day. So it looks like the boys are going to have a bit of a side mission here. Logan can keep his passivity going when he's being punished, but will he have the same control when he sees the loved ones of others threatened? That'll be the real test. This was another fantastic issue my Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. If you're not on board yet, just wait. I'm sure this will be out in TPB form before Christmas. Wanna bet on it?

Wolverine Origins #27 - Marvel

There's a couple of things I'm unclear of . . with this story. Is Daken actually Logan's son . . or was he just like a surrogate father? If I understand this correctly, Daken's mother died while she was pregnant . . but Logan didn't know that? So, apparently, after he was born that's when the other family took him in? We've gotten the story over the last 2 issues, but . . the time-line is a little confusing. Of course, I could be confusing myself. Anyways, if that's the series of events . . I'm guessing it was Romulus, in the first case, that killed Daken's mother, and Logan's love. He seems to have very intricate, and long scheming plans. So, maybe this was all a set-up right from the beginning . . . but . . how did he even know about Logan, when he was going to such great lengths to hide himself? Also, if he knew about Logan then he would understand the possibilities that would arise from his offspring, but . . how did he know that she was pregnant? The other part that has me confused is this cave, in the US, where all these test-subjects were experimented on during the war. This was a time when Logan was persuaded to do things that he might not have otherwise . . he was a very bad man. So, if he knew what went down in this cave, and the emotional ties, and drama, that existed here . . why on Earth would he bring Daken here? Obviously the story of these Japanese victims is somehow tied to the story of Daken, who was also raised in Japan . . . but, I'll be damned if I can figure out where the connection lies yet. I'm also starting to think . . maybe this story is more about Romulus than necessarily Logan or Daken. I mean obviously they're all involved, but . . . it's possible this story is more about introducing us to Romulus and his nefarious plans. Could be . . right? I'm sure we'll have a better understanding of this story as it progress', but right now . . I have more questions than answers. I thought Stephen Segovia did a pretty decent job with the art on this issue. I do however miss Steve Dillon. Hopefully he'll be back after this story-arc.

Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #3 - Marvel

I bought this book because of it's Fantastic Four connections. Well . . that and Barry Kitson did the art. He's one of my favorites. But, I did not buy it because it was a Secret Invasion cross-over. I'm glad too, because it really has nothing to do with that. Well . . except that Lyja is involved, Johnny's old girlfriend, whom we haven't seen hide nor hair of since Heroes Reborn. Its hard to believe it's been that long. Anyways, her and Johnny had it out last issue, but this issue . . . they make up . . kind of. Lyja fills Johnny in on what she's been doing since he last saw her as Laura Green. Basically she was recruited by the Queen, Veranke, because she had infiltrated human society for so long. Also because of her ties to the Fantastic Four. Veranke thought that she could call upon her patriotism, and because of the way Johnny hurt her, to take out the team and kill them all. That's really what she was supposed to do. Which is why she transported the top of the Baxter Building into the Negative Zone . . . to try to save them without openly resisting the Queen's orders. Anyways, long story short, Ben breaks into the Negative Zone prison, and with the kids help, convinces the Tinkerer to come back with them and fix the transporter. They head back to New York City, but Lyja decides that she's going to stay in the Zone and try to find herself. And that was the end of the story. Like I said . . it doesn't really have a whole lot to do with the invasion. I'm not discounting Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa's writing. I'm sure he had certain parameters in which he had to operate. I'm sure his hands were tied, as far as how far he could go with this story. So, for what he had to work with, I thought it was an 'ok' story. And it just gave me another reason for not being all wrapped up in all the 'Invasion' cross-overs. Thanks for that.

Ultimate Spider-man #124 - Marvel

There's a reason why this is one of my favorite books . . . well . . maybe there's several reasons. First of all, I think Brian Bendis has done a tremendous job with this book, ever since day one. I love the interaction and dialogue between all of these characters. I'm glad he doesn't do the inner dialogue like he did on the Avengers for a little while there. That was a bit annoying. Secondly, I think Spider-man, or more specifically . . Peter Parker, is one of the best characters out there. And he has a great . . and huge. . supporting cast. I also really prefer this teen-age Peter to the grown-up one. I like that everything is new, and unexplored, to him. He's flying by the seat of his pants . . . sometimes literally. Also the art on this book has always been top-notch. First with Mark Bagley, and now with Stuart Immonen. And finally I love the Ultimate Universe theme that Marvel created with this book. I like the fact that anything can change . . and it usually does . . and that no theme or idea are 'out of bounds'. I really feel that the Ultimate Universe have made comics fun again . . . especially this one. This book is leading us in to the Ultimate Venom story-line. Peter's starting to notice the head-aches that come when he's in the vicinity of Venom . . but, he hasn't put that piece of the puzzle together yet. Plus this issue we see Silver Sable, Nick Fury again . . . who I swear looks an awful lot like Samuel L Jackson . . and this Beetle (?) character . . whom we really don't know anything about yet. Oh yeah . . plus a few glimpses of Venom. This is easily one of my favorite books out there.

WildCATS #1 - WildStorm

While doing this blog, I have Seether's Gasoline playing on my computer, and then Saliva's Ladies and Gentleman. I have to tell you, if this were the soundtrack to this book . . it would give it a whole different feeling. I think that would be a good idea . . for the writers, or maybe even the artists, to list recommended listening while reading whatever book it is they're writing. That way the reader could get the same feeling for the book as the creators had when they were writing it. What do you think? I mean, Stephen King listens to AC/DC when he writes his books . . right? Anyways . . it's a thought. Maybe I'll do a survey. Anyways, I like the way this story is starting out. I'm sure with the first couple of issues of each book we're going to get the set-up for the group we're reading about. In this issue, we find out that the WildCATS are staying in LA. Of course they have the HALO Corp. building to live and work out of . . so they definitely have an advantage. But, on the other hand . . . they've also created a mighty big target . . when you think about it. Christos Gage is starting out of the gate running. He's assembled a lot of the usual characters here, but I'm sure there's also going to be some surprises coming up in future issues. We've seen in this issue already that Majestros has gone a little loopy already. At the end of this issue he's ready to take out Zealot and Nemesis. Of course, they're willing to return the favor also. Neil Googe does the art for this book and it's fantastic. I thought he was really coming along on the Tranquility series, but now . . it seems as if he's amped it up a notch. He's really doing an amazing job. But then, so is Trevor Hairsine who is drawing the Lynch back-up story. First of all I'm glad to see the WildCATS back in their own book. Secondly, I think this is going to be the perfect environment for them to operate out of. It's not perfect for the survivors of this world, but I think it'll be the perfect environment for the type of stories that really make this group shine. I'm excited about seeing where this book goes.

DC Special: Cyborg #3 - DC

I have a complaint. I know it's minor, but . . it bothers me. Ken Lashley did the art for the first 2 issues of this series. It was fantastic. But, as has been the norm lately, it seems like everybody is switching artists every couple of issues. As a matter of fact, I don't know that I've ever seen Ken actually finish a project, without a fill-in issue here or there. For god's sakes, this is a mini-series . . not a continuing one. So why wouldn't they get all 6 issues in the can before they even published it? Then they could've . . waited? . . for Ken to finish all 6 issues. I know the story doesn't change because of the artist, but . . . is it to much to ask that a story-arc be finished by the artist that started it? Anyways, I did enjoy the story. Mark Sable is building a compelling story here about Vic's one-time best friend, Ron Evers. Is he the villain here . . or is he just another victim? If you ask me, I think this Mister Orr is the villain. But he's continued to be an ambiguous character at best. And I don't know that we'll ever know everything about him. His one success though, Equos will be here next issue to have another throw-down with Vic. Carlos Magno ended up doing the art for this issue. It wasn't bad. But . . it wasn't as good as Ken's. So, for me, that aspect of the story was a bit disappointing. However, as far as the story goes, I do like how were revisiting Vic's past and origins. This isn't an origin book . . per se, but . . we are finding out that some of the things we thought about Vic's beginnings . . are shrouded in a bit of deception. But then . . isn't everybodies past? Consistent artist or not . . I'm still looking forward to the next 3 issues.

Huntress - Year One #6 - DC

I thoroughly enjoyed this mini-series. I thought the team-up of Ivory Madison and Cliff Richards, on the creative tasks of writing and drawing . . they worked very well together. My only complaint is that I didn't particularly care for the ending. I thought it was just kind of . . . there. There wasn't any unexpected twists or surprise announcements . . everything just played out the way it had for the last couple of issues. Which, actually, made it a smart book . . because everything progressed and resolved in a natural occurrence. And, as with life, the resolution ended up being a bit ambiguous. It's not what we expected . . or probably wanted, but . . it does leave things open to further explore Helena's life at a later point. I mean, Helena's story ended almost exactly as expected. But, as far as those around her . . . the Pope, Tony, Sal, the Mayor . . . those stories are left pretty open ended. And really the story wasn't even about them. They were just the inspiration to give Helena the resolution to try to do something right in the world. "What haunts me is not what happened. It's that moment when nothing happened, when I could have done something but did not. For most people, there is a space between intention and action. I cannot afford that space. Not in the kind of life I have. The kind of life that chose me. The kind of life I choose to have now." Like I said . . no surprises . . no startling revelations . . just good solid story-telling. I really did enjoy it.

Reign in Hell #1 - DC

I'll tell you what . . . Keith Giffen put an awful lot of thought into the construction of this tale. There's a lot more detail here than you would normally see in another mini-series. First of all the Justiniano cover . . not the one shown here . . is amazing. He's definitely one of my favorite artists, and perfect for this series. The interior art is by Tom Derenick with Bill Sienkiewicz doing the inks. Talk about an art team supreme. There are some amazing panels in this book. Especially for a world that's being created basically from the ground up . . or is that from the ground down . . as they go along. I'm telling you, these guys have done some incredible planning for this series. This issue shows us that there's a war being prepared in Hell. But more importantly it's showing us the many layers, and the intricacies of this world that the DC Universe has only ever barely tapped in to. The 3 main characters, as far as the occupants of hell go, are Satanus and Blaze, who are the ones behind this uprising, and Neron. Neron is basically the emperor supreme . . his power and position is not to be questioned. But Satanus and Blaze have decided to create an uprising by instilling . . . hope into the denizens of these nether regions. Not at all what I expected. By the end of this series I expect this world to be a viable part of the DC Universe, as it is over at it's Marvel-ous competitors. But, more importantly, I think that this series will redefine and set the parameters for the 'magical' or 'supernatural' entities of the DC Universe. Afterall, in this first issue, we see Zatara, Zatanna, Zauriel, Shadowpact, Carol Danvers, I Vampire, Jason Blood and Etrigan, Black Alice, Kid Devil and the Creeper. It seems like the only ones we didn't see were the SHAZAM! family. We even get a back-up story with Doctor Occult and Ralph and Sue Digby. I think this is going to be a fantastic mini-series. It definitely gets an A+ for effort and moxy!

Blue Beetle #29 - DC

Maybe it's just me, but this issue seemed to be a political statement about the way this country handles it's borders and it's immigrants. But I don't really like that word. So . . let's say 'displaced citizens of neighboring countries'. That sounds better. 'Immigrant' isn't necessarily a bad word . . it just has such a negative connotation to it. So, as with anything that makes us feel uncomfortable . . . lets avoid it. That's the way this country handles everything . . . right? Let's just say that what I do in the real world, allows me to see how people treat others of different nationalities. They could be born in the US, and speak perfect English . . . heck, they could even be 2nd or 3rd generation, but . . . they get treated as if they just got off a boat, or crossed a border. To me, that's demeaning and ignorant. I mean, think about it. At one time, or another, we, or our ancestors, were all 'displaced citizens of neighboring countries'. And to me, with the world being as small as it is nowadays . . . every country is our neighbor. I'm sorry! I'll get off my soap-box. Anyways, we see this issue that a lot of times, people trying to get into this country are treated like someone who just broke out of prison. We don't stop to think that 9 times out of 10, they're just people trying to make a better life for themselves. I'm not saying they should be coddled, but they should be given more opportunities to enter our country under legal means. They are human beings after all. Sorry! The soap-box came out again. Lets just say that for a book that I didn't think was going to make it, I'm actually beginning to like this one. Because of Jamie's Hispanic origin, and the location of this series in Texas, it affords the story-teller, Matthew Sturges, the opportunity to address some hot topics as a natural part of the story-telling process. I'm also beginning to enjoy Rafael Albuquerque's artwork more and more. He's not one of my favorites, but . . . he gives this book a certain style and it's consistent from issue to issue. And now that we've gotten to know Jaime more, and he's learning the 'ins & outs' of the super-hero biz . . he's becoming a character that the reader can care about more and more. And that, after all, are the ingredients to a well constructed book. Thank you!

Catwoman #81 - DC

This was supposed to be the final issue. It has the feel of a final issue. Well . . all except for the last couple of pages. Somewhere along the line they decided to give Catwoman one more time in the lime-light . . as it where. I'm guessing it's because they wanted to establish where the relationship between her and Batman, Bruce, lies. This issue is basically about her re-estabishing her 'street-cred' after returning from Salvation Run. She runs around town pulling off a bunch of high-profile, but low reward, heists. At one point she even steals a Detective's hat off of his head. And, with most of her heists, she either throws the swag away, or dumps it in the river. But it's not really about the reward . . it's about letting people know she's back in town. She even does a job for the Calculator, but . . she ends the job on her terms, not his. But like I said, I think the reason they added one more issue is to put the new rank in place for Selina and Bruce's relationship. I have a feeling it's not going to be as 'nice' as it once was. But, we'll have to wait for next issue, the absolute final one, to see where the new boundaries lie. I've enjoyed Will Pfeifer, David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez's run on this book. I'm sad that it's coming to an end, but I'm sure this isn't the last we'll see of our feline fatale. However, in the meantime we'll have one more issue to enjoy. And . . one more Adam Hughes cover to drool over. Meowww!

Teen Titans #61 - DC

I guess, in the tradition of the Blue and the Gold . . Blue Beetle and Booster Gold . . they're trying to put together a new team of the Red and the Blue . . Red Devil and Blue Beetle. Oh yeah, they changed his name from Kid Devil to Red Devil. It's about time! I like the chemistry between these 2, however, right now, it seems a little forced. I think with some more interaction between the 2 it'll seem more natural. Like the Blue & Gold team-ups. But I do have a word of advice . . let them be who they are. Don't try to make them just like Ted and Booster. I know they want the same chemistry, but they aren't the same people . . obviously. Let it come naturally. Sean McKeever is doing a good job deconstructing and then reconstructing this team. I think we're in the latter, but so far it's been a pretty slow process. But I think, in the long run, it's definitely going to pay off. This issue Carlos Rodriguez does the art. It's . . ok. I like Eddy Barrows cover better than the interiors. But, like I said . . it was ok. There just wasn't anything special about it. But really this whole issue was about forming that bond between Jamie and Eddie. I think it'll get there . . eventually. Like the art, it was an ok issue. Nothing very special though. But I still love this team and these characters.

Green Lantern #33 - DC

I really just can't say enough about Geoff Johns. The guy is a genius. This secret origins story, with Hal and Sinestro, is fantastic. There's so many different aspects to it, you'd think Geoff had been writing Green Lantern for his whole life. Then, on top of the incredible story, we have Ivan Reis' art. Ivan is absolutely perfect for this book. The final couple pages, where Atrocitus is going after William Hand . . . and then Hal and Sinestro are trying to subdue and arrest him . . are just spectacular. They're fighting, in the rain, out in a cemetery . . and each panel, and their flow . . is perfect. Also, we have this story about the Blackest Night brewing in the background this issue. In a message from Abin Sur, we learn some more of the truth behind the mystery of sector 666. We don't get the whole story about how William Hand is connected to all of this . . but we do get some vague hints. I gotta say, when I saw that they were doing another 'Secret Origin' story about Hal, I really wasn't expecting for there to be this much about the Corps, or the Guardians, history involved. But I'd have to say that this is probably the most involved 'Origin' story I've seen yet from DC. It's fantastic. We end this issue with Atrocitus coming at Hal and Sinestro full tilt, but both of them have pretty much depleted the charges on their rings. Next issue should be pretty intense.

Justice Society of America Annual #1 - DC

This issue follows the story directly out of JSA #17 . . you know, where Gog said he was going to send Kara home. This issue, as with the series, is written by Geoff Johns. So it has a seamless feel to it as you go from #17 to this issue. I, for one, really appreciate that. From what I understand, DC has decided to have certain artists do the stories from certain world's in the multi-verse. That way, no matter who the writer is, they'll have the same feel to them. Anyways, it's my understanding that Jerry Ordway is going to be the artist for Earth-2. Which I really like. This book really had the feel to it of those old All-Star Comics issues, or even like the All-Star Squadron. Anyways Jerry does this whole Annual, and it's really fantastic. Kara goes through all of this drama with Helena, and the rest of her friends from Justice Society, upon her return. She feels like she's at home, but, at the same time, something just doesn't feel right. Unfortunately . . she can't really pinpoint just what it is. But as she soon learns, there's another Power-girl there . . and she claims to be Karen Starr. Which soon puts Kara on the run, and the entire Justice Society looking for her. Her final words this issue, as she's fleeing down an alley . . "Gog . . where the hell did you send me?" In the back of the book there's a beautiful 2-page pin-up by Dale Eaglesham & Wade Von Grawbadger. It's really great looking. I wish I had a poster of it. Overall, I thought it was one of the best Annuals I've seen so far this year. Congratulations to all involved!

Batman - Death Mask #4 - DC

I have to hand it to Yshinori Natsume. I may not particularly like his style of artwork, but . . he tells a fantastic story. I'm just not a big manga kind of guy . . I guess. I mean it's ok . . I just don't find it all that exciting. But that's just me. However, I did truly enjoy this story. As it turns out, the guy behind the Death Mask was Aya's father. She didn't know him. She left her mother before she was born. But it was him, none the less. He had changed his identity . . tried to life a life to make up for the sins of his past . . what he did to Aya's mother, and those in their neighborhood. But sometimes it's hard to escape your past . . if you can't let yourself. I think that was the lesson of this story. No matter what you've done in life . . good or bad . . the world keeps moving . . you keep moving. If you want to hang on to that past, and dwell on it . . that's your choice. Or . . you could believe that everything happens for a reason, and it's also your choice on where you go from here. I think that's the lesson Aya's father learned . . at the end, but Aya learned in time so that she didn't end up going down the same path. I've said this before, but anyone who writes a story that gets you thinking that much about stuff . . did a hell of a job. My hats off to you Yoshinori. Thank you!

Joker's Asylum: Two Face #1 - DC

Ok . . this was another installment of Joker from the Crypt . . . or, Joker from the Asylum . . or, Joker's Asylum. Yeah! That's it. I'd have to say though, this particular issue, in my opinion, was the best of the lot. I enjoyed the story that David Hine turned in. And, I especially like the artwork of Andy Clarke. Andy is a very detailed artist. Very precise. And in a story like this, about Two-Face, and with the Joker, that style seems to be in direct contrast with the theme of the book. It's very disturbing. I like it a lot! The story was somewhat predictable, but not entirely. But to be honest these books really haven't been about the stories. These villains have been out of the Gotham lime-light for a little while . . due to Salvation Run . . so this was the opportunity to reintroduce them. And that's really what this whole run has been about. To let us know that they may be gone . . but not forgotten. And that the true players in the Gotham under-world are back, ready to roll up their sleeves, and deal out a little carnage. Of course . . we have to wait until the Batman RIP story-line has run it's course, but . . . as good as that story is . . it's worth the wait. Let the games begin.

Trinity #9 - DC

A few important things happen this issue. First of all a new villain shows up on the scene, the Swashbuckler. He blows up a whole shopping center just to get at Etta Candy . . for a kiss? Actually he was stealing her DMA security badge. But that's for a later tale. Secondly, Bruce, who was attacked by Howlers last issue, stave's off their attack, and their attempt to 'mark' him. With Superman's help, they capture the creatures and the branding device. Which links what's going on back to Merlin. However at the same time, civilians have been disappearing all over the globe . . as if they're plucked right out of their tracks. It looks as if the culprits may be the Crime Syndicate. It was another great installment by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley. I know some Marvel-ites out there aren't going to be happy, but I think Mark may have found a new home in the DC Universe. Anyways, the back-up story, Kurt, Fabian and Scott McDaniel shows how Oracle is using her vast network to try to piece together what's going on with all of these robberies and how it ties in with the Gotham under-world. Swashbuckler also shows up in this story, as he tries to steal Nightwing's mask. The operative word there is 'tries'. However, he is successful in stealing . . . the Joker's laugh? Very interesting. This series is definitely heating up as it goes along. So far, I'm really enjoying the ride.

Superman / Batman #50 - DC

For the 50th issue . . DC pulled out all of the stops. First of all is the huge cast of artistic talent that participated in this issue. Our 2 covers are by Ethan Van Sciver and Ed McGuinness. Interiors are done by Ed Benes, Matthew Clark, Allan Goldman and Ian Churchill. The story is by Michael Green and Mike Johnson, and it takes us all the way back to the beginning of both of these heroes. The second 'coup that DC pulls here is showing us how these 2 characters have been linked since before they were born. I don't want to give away the whole story, because I really think you should go out and get this one. You know how they say it's a smaller world than we would like to believe? Well, it's a smaller universe also. Krypton and Jor-el have a definite connection to Bruce's family and have had more of an impact on Gotham than anyone knows. On the opposite side, the Wayne's have a direct connection to the House of El, and helped in determining young Jor-el's final destination. If you want to know how . . pick up the book and read it. Really . . you won't be disappointed. This was a fantastic anniversary issue for a spectacular series. Long live the World's Finest.

The X Files #0 - WildStorm

Normally, I wouldn't be so excited about this book . . . the reinvention of an old TV series, but . . I have to admit, I'm an X-Files geek. I saw all the shows when they came out. I have all the seasons on DVD. And, I have a comic box full of all the various books that TOPPS! comics put out . . what was it, like 10 or 15 years ago now? Wow! It seems like it was yesterday. At the time, the X-Files was easily my favorite show on TV. And then, I think, Next Generation was right behind it. But this show was cutting edge. I was also, apparently, one of the only people that enjoyed the previous movie. I thought it was a natural course of events . . following the series. Now I will admit, I haven't seen the new movie yet. I haven't really been in to it in a while. I love the characters, but hey . . . it's been some time since we've visited them. I was very happy to see this book come out though. And yes I did buy the $10 variant cover. I'm a sucker! And yes I will see the movie, although it probably won't be until it gets to the $1 movies. I love that place! Anyways . . the comic . . the reason we're here . . I thought this issue was actually . . kind of boring. Sorry! I know it's really just the set-up . . the series will be starting in October, I think, but . . it just didn't 'do it' for me. Don't get me wrong, it was great see the characters again, and I'm still looking forward to the continuing series, and when I see the movie. I just wasn't thrilled with this particular issue. But, like I said, it's only the start. Reading the back pages, from what I understand, Frank Spotnitz is writing these stories to be placed, chronologically, somewhere between season 2 and season 5. He likes the feel of the characters at that time, not to mention the fantastic supporting cast that was available. And while finishing this book, he was also finishing the movie, so . . that may have had something to do with this issue. Who knows? However I was thrilled to death with Brian Denham's artwork. As far as the visual of this book goes . . it was fantastic. My interest in the series will definitely increase if he's to be the continuing artist. I think the other part I didn't like about this issue is that there's no real clear resolution. But, now that I think about it, most of the actual X-Files episodes were also like that. Frank also says in the back that he sees the X-Files stories as 'endless'. Which is really how this issue ends . . . that it could come back to bite them sometime in the future. I thought it was ok. But I'll wait until I get into the continuing series a few issues before I make a final decision. I am glad to see them back though.

Number of the Beast #8 - WildStorm

Well . . it's finally here! The WildStorm Universe has finally reached it's 'Armageddon'. This is what the last 3 (or was it 4?) mini-series have been leading up to. As of now, there's very few 'humans' left on the face of this planet. The way Scott Beatty wrote it, it really seemed like the natural course of events . . considering all the variables that have been coming in to play over the course of the last few months. When Void was taking all of these heroes into the future to try to figure out what was happening, it looks like she should've taken them in to the past. That's really the only chance they had of stopping all of this. But, even then, they probably wouldn't have gone back fare enough. They would've had to go all the way back to the 40's. That's where General McCandless made a deal with the devil . . a Daemonite scientist named Slyxx. The Gen. thought the alien was cooperating when in actuality, for the last 60 years, he's been planning this whole event. After the High pretty much destroys the Pentagon and heads off to destroy all of his clones, Slyxx starts working some controls. "I'm 'phoning home' General Somerset. In actuality, I'm really just leaving a message for the Daemonite command-creche . . . mission accomplished." The High's destruction of his clone, high in the Earth orbit, is the final key to the long-term plan. Now, all of the remaining 'heroes' will start gathering together in teams. That's where the Authority, WildCATS and Gen13 books are headed. I'm sad about the course of events here, obviously, but . . I'm also excited because, basically, we've opened up a whole new world for these characters. Yes it may be a post-apocalyptic world, but . . it's still a fresh start. I can't wait to see where things go from here.

Secret History of the Authority: Hawksmoor #5 - WildStorm

5 issues in, and we finally get everything explained to us. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the first 4 issues, it's just that it took until now for it all to finally fit together. It turns out that Juliet, and the guy who's been chasing after Jack, are from the future. There, the world is covered under one gigantic city. And that city is overseen by 5, kind of, techno-gods. "Embodiments of our world, each serving as a nerve-center. Just as you do here, Jack. But on an infinitely vaster scale." The one they serve is named Plo'raach. And his goal, obviously, is to rule the whole world. Isn't that always the case? Anyways, to do that their goal is to change the past, which will change the future. And to accomplish that they're going to attempt to destroy 17 cities across the globe. I'm not sure what the signifigance is, but . . I guess it doesn't really matter. Obviously, since Jack is the hero, and with the aid of some of that self-same future tech, he jumps around the globe and saves all of the cities. However, after accomplishing his task in the last one, Tokyo, he is then confronted by Plo'raach. Apparently, he came back to the past also. I like Mike Costa's story. I enjoy the way he's unraveling the events. But to me, the real surprise of the book is Fiona Staples' art. I think, maybe, she's having a hard time keeping up with the schedules, because the first couple of issues looked better than the later ones. However, I still think she shows a ton of potential. She's got a unique style that works very well in this medium. Anyways, I'm enjoying the series and I can't wait to see how it all wraps up next issue.

Ultimate X-Men #96 - Marvel

This book starts out with Jean's travel, across the Universe, where she came in to contact with the Silver Surfer. This apparently happened over the course of the last 2 months or so. The only thing I'm not sure of is . . what was the outcome of this journey? All we know for sure is that she tells the Surfer that she's looking for Heaven. Then, later in the book, she sees a vision of her father. He says that he's come to her because of her journey, and that she should just carry on her life the way she is . . . to forget about him. But, I'm not quite sure what the relevance of all this is? The main part of the story is about the Banshee drug. As suspected, we find out that the drug is actually coming from Wolverine. Well . . not directly. Someone is attempting to recreate his DNA. Or at least temporarily recreate it in the people that take the drug. Which has really pissed Logan off. As I was saying though, I don't understand what Jean's journey has to do with this. Maybe nothing . . I don't know. Anyways, Colossus' team, who've gone off to try to retrieve Northstar from Alpha Flight, have all become hooked on Banshee during this operation. It was necessary for them to take it because Alpha Flight was all Banshee enhanced, and they wouldn't have stood a chance without it. So after Scott sends a mental SOS to Jean, she puts a team together to go up to Canada and try to save them. Wolverine goes along for the ride, but this is after he discovers what someone is trying to do with his DNA. The issue ends after Wolverine confronts Colossus because he thinks he is the fault behind all of this. The final panel of the book shows Colossus standing there, holding what looks like his heart in his hands. A very ominous ending. Aron E Coleite wrote it, and Clay Mann, with the help of Brandon Peterson, did the art. Overall I enjoyed the issue. I was just confused about the Jean Grey part of it. I also think this book has definitely improved in the last couple of months. I'm happy about that.

Wolverine: First Class #5 - Marvel

The thing I enjoyed about this issue was seeing the beginnings of Alpha Flight, and then Logan's participation in that endeavor. I don't think this is the actual beginning of the team, per se, but I think it's one of the first times that most of it's members ever came together. Before that they were just weapons listed, individually, in the Canadian war machine's arsenal. It's hard to think of Canada, though, as having a war machine. But then I guess that would be their greatest trick, making everyone believe that they don't . . that they weren't even capable of such a thing. But, from the history of the X-Men, it seems like some of the biggest bastards out there either came from Canada, or out of the Weapon X program, which happens to be stationed in Canada. In the words of Angel's ex-girlfriend, in his current mini-series . . "Gees! You don't fixate much! Do you?" The other thing I like about this book is seeing Kitty back in her early days of the X-Men. We don't see much of her lately, so it's nice to see her back in this young, naive role. In my opinion, Kitty had a lot more influence on the team, and it's individual members, than anyone, I think, actually realizes. I think that would make a good 'What-if?' story-line at some point . . . 'What-if? . . . Kitty Pryde had never become an X-Man?' I think it would be interesting to see how things would've turned out differently. Anyways, overall I liked the book. I thought Fred Van Lente's story was pretty decent. And of course I enjoyed Clayton Henry's art. Although if you didn't know that he was the artist, you never would've guessed it. He used a completely different style on this book. But it was still good. Also anytime you can get another Wolverine book . . it's a good thing.

Angel: Revelations #3 - Marvel

I'm really enjoying the story that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is presenting us with here. I especially like the focus on the relationship between Warren and his friend Andrew. It's kind of a friendship built on necessity . . for both of them . . but, I feel it's grown from there. Obviously, though, his nemesis, Brandon, is going to exploit that friendship to get back at him. I can see that coming from a mile away. And it looks like Warren will help Andrew with his little problem with Father Reynolds. Then, of course, there's the little 'x' factor thing going on with this guy in Nebraska who appears to be hunting mutants. He's using his own mutant, Mary Margaret, as a tracker of sorts. Apparently she has visions, or dreams, or a combination that helps give the guy the insight he needs to find them. He believes that he's setting their souls free, and is delivering god's wrath. Whatever! So far he's had hints, or glimpse's of Warren, but he doesn't know yet who or where he is. I'm sure that'll build up to the final issue. But I gotta' say, to me, the real star of this book is Adam Pollina. His artwork on this series is tremendous. I've been a huge fan of his for some time now, but on this series . . he's really outdone himself. He has more of a sketch style to his stuff this time around. I'm not sure what he's doing different, but it's really looking nice. There's a 2-page spread, on pages 8 & 9, where Warren's finally revealing his wings to Andrew, and . . . it is spectacular. Andrew turns around to view his friends secret and Warren looks like an angel that's descended from heaven. It really is a fantastic spread. Also throughout the book, as on the cover, Adam is adorning his panels with this tapestry like designs, or ornaments. It really gives the book a neat look. I started this series because I enjoy this character, but I gotta admit I never expected to like it this much. I just thought it would be another origin series. If you're not picking it up . . you really should. You won't be disappointed.

Avengers - the Initiative #15 - Marvel

I'm not sure I can explain why, but this is quickly becoming my favorite of the 3 Avengers books. Maybe it's just the sheer amount of characters, or the constant evolution of the cadets and their trainers. I can't really pin-point it, but . . I really do enjoy this book. I think Dan Slott and Christos Gage are doing a great job with these stories. This issues pencils are by Harvey Tolibao. They're pretty damn good. Not perfect, but . . this guy shows a lot of potential. Anyways, 3-D man came back to camp last issue with some news . . the Initiative was being infiltrated by Skrulls. He couldn't wait to tell somebody. Unfortunately, when he landed, the Crusaded was also there. He is a Skrull. He wasn't sent her to replace anybody, just for a fact-finding mission. But he's come to love being human . . or just maybe being with humans. Anyways, he doesn't want to be found out so he uses his ring, which was made from a piece of the Cosmic Cube, to alter 3-D man's perceptions. He reverses it, humans look like Skrulls and Skrulls look like humans. At least to him. So that leaves only 2 people he can trust . . Crusader and Yellowjacket. This is also how the Crusader figures out, for sure, that Henry Pym is also Skrull. But then the camp is called in to action. It seems the Skrulls have mounted an open invasion in Times Square. That's the part of the story that's a little iffy to me. I'm not exactly sure why they would do that. But anyways the point of it is, the Crusader comes to the rescue of many humans and during the course of the battle he comes face to face with one of his training buddies . . back on the Skrull homeworld. But he decides he'd rather live as a human than for his friend to betray him, so . . he kills him. I guess this was the battle that tested him as a warrior and made him decide where his true allegiances lay. I thought it was a pretty decent issue, with a great resolution. And maybe that's why I like this book so much. Who know?

the New Avengers #43 - Marvel

Again, we're on the 'back-tracking' cycle of the Secret Invasion story-line. I like the way the story started out and unfolded, but now . . Brian Bendis keeps back-tracking to explain the way something happened. Ok . . remember when the Avengers and the Mighty Avengers both ended up going to the Savage Land at the same time . . to investigate the crash landing of the Skrull ship? Also SHIELD actually beat them there to investigate on their own. Then, come to find out, the ship is actually a life-boat that a bunch of older Avengers, including Captain America, had jumped on to find their way home from the Skrull world on which they were being held captive. Well, I think we all knew that these old Avengers were actually Skrull. And I think we all had a pretty good idea the most of the SHIELD were also Skrull. So why do we have to waste the time, and story-line, to go back and explain it? I would say most of the readers are probably of average or above intelligence. So . . I think we can fill in some of the blank spaces on our own. Plus, I think, there's more anticipation when we think we should fill it in one way, but then when we do find out what happened it turns out to be something completely different. I also like it when I find out my hunches were right. But, when the story is spoon fed to you, there's not much for you to fill in on the blanks. And, I think, the story losses some of it's anticipation and suspense. At least that's how I feel about it. That's not to say that I didn't actually enjoy the story, because I do like Brian's writing . . overall. I just don't like it when he does stuff like this. But what are ya' gonna' do? He's the writer and we're the reader. Either buy the book and enjoy it . . or don't. It's always your choice. I also enjoyed Billy Tan's pencils on this issue. He did a good job, especially with the way he portrayed Ka-zar and Shanna. Overall I thought it was an enjoyable issue . . for what it was.

X-Men Legacy #214 - Marvel

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the way the Sinister story-line wrapped up. To me . . it was completely unexpected. Well . . it was and it wasn't. After reading it, you realize that, really, it's the only ending that could've happened. I have one comment though. What's up with the cover of Scott as a child? I mean he wasn't even in this issue. I know next issue deals with Scott and Xavier's confrontation, but . . what does that have to do with him being a child on this month's cover? I mean . . it doesn't really matter . . I was just wondering. Anyways, this issue wraps up Sinister's life-long plan to have his essence take over a body of his choosing . . in the case of his demise. Well . . we all know he did die, and thus . . his plan was enacted. Apparently his first choice has always been Charles. When they were children he imprinted his own DNA on these 4 boys, and now his Cronus device is bringing that plan to realization. Long story short, Charles, Gambit and Sebastian Shaw bring him to his knees and destroy his device, forever disabling that particular plan. But, the book really should've been called the many deaths of Charles Xavier, because that's how Sinister was trying to block Xavier's incredible power . . making him relive all his life and death experiences. So anyways, like I said, together they disabled that particular plan. But, Sinister is nothing if not a man with infinite contingencies. Charles and Remy breathe a sigh of relief thinking that Sinister is finally dead, but, we find out later, that was just one of his plans. That plan was conceived before he had mastered cloning. So, of course, once he had . . he just made himself a new body to 'down-load' in to. Although this time he looks like he could be the Black-queen of the Hellfire Club. But he prefers . . . Miss Sinister. And the game begins anew. I think Mike Carey is doing a great job with this book. I'm really enjoying his stories and the directions that he's taking these various characters in. I also enjoy his humor. After Remy and Sebastian destroy the Cronus device, which weakens Sinister's hold on Charles, Charles breaks free. He turns to Sebastian and thanks him. His reply is, "Please. I was on Sinister's list myself. Altruism has never been one of my vices, and I'm too old to take up new hobbies." I also was wondering, how does Sebastian always end up with his shirt off? Scot Eaton again did the pencils this issue, although he did have some help from Ken Lashley. The results were spectacular. It's really a sharp looking book. Sometimes it's hard for me to pick which X-Men book I like better.

Uncanny X-Men #500 - Marvel

I know! There's a lot of pictures here, but I just couldn't help myself. There were 4 different covers to this particular issue, and they're all fantastic. But how could you expect anything less with the likes of Terry Dodson, Greg Land, Alex Ross and Michael Turner. There were also 2 sketch variants. They were 1 per 200, so no . . I didn't get those. In fact I wasn't even shown those so I don't even know if my guy got them or not. I didn't even know they existed until I went to the Mile High Comics website to borrow these. They don't have pictures of them either. Although I did do some digging and found some up for sale on E-Bay. The one's I saw were starting at around $300. So I think I'm going to have to do without those as part of my collection. You can't get everything . . I guess. And to think I was never a big 'Variant Cover' guy . . until the last couple of years. Now that's the first question that pops out of my mouth every week when I stop in the shop . . . "What kind of variants do you have for me this week?" I guess the marketing is working. Lucky me! Ah, I figure when I turn 80 or 90 or something, I'll be able to sell them and go on vacation or something. Although by that time that'll probably be my only source of income. Not to much pressure there. Huh? Anyways, I thought it was a pretty decent issue. I enjoyed both Terry and Greg's art. My only question was, what was the determining factor on who did what pages? It seemed kind of random to me. You know how sometimes one artist will do the current scenes, and one the flashbacks, well . . like I said, this one just seemed rather random. Although, there were about 3 or 4 new story-lines that were getting started this issue, so maybe it had something to do with that. Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction wrote the story. The main part I liked was the acclamation of the group to San Francisco. It was nice to see them not have to face the pressure of being ostracized by their community on top of everything else they have to deal with. Although, all of that may change after their altercation with Magneto and the Sentinels running rampant across the city. Sometimes they really seem like a trouble magnet. Maybe that's their secondary mutation. You think? And what is the High Evolutionary up to? We have to wonder if Warren is ok. There shouldn't be anything to worry about, but . . with the X-Men . . that's just when you should worry. So . . we'll see next issue. And finally it looks like with their arrival in town, they've also brought out the 'haters'. It looks like 'mutant-bashing' could be the new past-time, and it's starting with a group call the Hellfire Cult. Like I said there's 3 or 4 different story-lines that seem to be starting up here. Plus . . I have a question. Do the Astonishing X-Men stories take place in this same Universe? The first story-arc didn't really seem to be, but with the new creative team it seems like the continuity between the 3 books is a little tighter. So I assume it is, but, if so, how does that explain Joss Whedon's story-arcs? It's just something I've been wondering about. It doesn't really matter, because I still enjoy the stories, but . . . I just like to know how all the pieces fit. It's amazing to me that this book has reaching #500. The first X-Men book that I bought off the racks was Uncanny #150. That was the first one I bought the day it came out. I filled in a lot before then, since that purchase, but there was just something about Magneto on the cover that drew me to it. Anyways, it been non-stop ever since. And it looks like, from here, the X-Men are ready to get started on the next leg of their journey. I know the X-Men have a long, rich history, but it seems like everything's starting over from here. It's a brand new world, and I can't wait to see what these guys do with it.

Robin #175 - DC

This issue is titled Death of a Family. As you can tell by that and the cover, it is a direct play on the original Death in the Family in which Batman held Robin in his arms on the cover. This entire issue is spent on Robin's quest to find out if the Batman is going crazy, or . . . if someone set him up when he did that isolation experiment years ago. He spent 10 days is and isolation tank " . . trying to dig into the 'mind of madness' . . so he could better understand villains like the Joker tick." Robin's thinking that if Bruce isn't going crazy, then maybe when he was involved in that experiment . . maybe someone planted a post-hypnotic suggestion. And somehow, with his recent 'cat & mouse' game with the Black Glove that somehow it was triggered. He's pulling out all the stops on finding Bruce. He's even brought Stephanie into it, although I think she's more of a sounding board for him. Someone, I think, to help him make sure that he's not jumping to conclusions. Now, with all of his resources looking for him, he's going to spend his time reading through some of his early journals to see if he can find any kind of clue as to what's going on. If anyone can figure out what's going on, it's Tim or Dick. I thought Fabian Nicieza did a fantastic job with this issue. He had just enough remorse and worry, mixed in with denial and guilt. You could just see it dripping off the pages. And Joe Bennett did a terrific job with his pencils, capturing the emotional weight that Robin is bearing in each of the panels. I'm not sure how this story is going to end up, but I think some of the dynamics in the 'Batman Family' are going to change. Very emotional issue. Fan-frikkin-tastic!!

Trinity #8 - DC

This book is heating up pretty fast. Despero has joined Morgaine's and Enigma's cause. And, on Kanjar Ro's world he's found the Cosmic Egg and brought it along with him also. We also find out the full scope of their plans. "To reorder all, spacelord. To reorder all. Understand something, or just accept it: the manifold cosmos . . what Enigma calls the 'multiverse' . . rests on a keystone, this universe. This universe too, rests on a keystone, this planet. Earth. And Earth's keystone? Them! Or at least, they can be made to serve in that role . . . the world, the universe, the cosmos all order themselves around what our 'Trinity' represents. We will usurp those roles . . make ourselves the 'center of all', and do so consciously, knowingly. That will be power without limit. And it is that which your egg will grant us the power to do. . . . the power of the Trinity can only be wrested away by another Trinity. By three, together." My only question is, do they know that Krona resides inside of the egg? And, how will his presence affect what this trio is planning? We also see that they are holding Tarot captive and are using her to get information on replacing the Trinity. Apparently she's somehow connected to the Worldsoul. On top of all of that, they make a direct move against the Trinity as they attempt to abduct Bruce. This issue is brought to us by the usual creative staff of Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley. Also contributing is Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel. This is a great issue and, like I said, things are starting to heat up pretty fast. I'm enjoying watching this drama unfold.