Countdown: Arena

I can sum up my reaction to hearing that this mini-series was going to be made with one word: enthusiasm. I can also sum up my reaction to the mini-series after reading the fourth and final issue: disappointment. Now, disappointment does not necessarily mean that this was a bad mini-series. I have read much worse. But for me, the actual story did not live up to the concept.

Having heroes from different Earths fight each other sounded like a great idea. Monarch is going to use the winners in his army? Still a good concept. Have the captives team up to fight Monarch, thus taking away from the battles? Starting to lose me. Have the the captives fight, and a calvary come in, only to get demolished? Now you've lost me.

Monarch has already been established as a serious force. A mini-series was not needed to drive this point home. All it did was take away from the selling point of the mini-series. I bought the book to see three different versions of the same character fight it out for supremacy, not Monarch plow through everyone. After finishing this, it seems like they could have just put this into Countdown. Or maybe an 80-page special one-shot.

Keith Champagne's writing was not bad. The actual script was an easy read, and flowed smoothly. I know it is odd to not like a story and be okay with a script. It is possible for a bad story to be executed well, and a good story to be executed poorly. Here, Champagne does the best with the story he's been given. I am not a fan of Scott McDaniel's art. If you are, that's fine. It's just not my thing.

If at the end of Countdown, I am proven wrong, and this was necessary, I will come back and write a correction.

New X-Men to survive Messiah Complex

When the post-Messiah Complex X-solicitations were released by Marvel, conspicuous by its absence was New X-Men, and fans took notice of it. With the release of X-Force some (myself included) thought that the newer book would replace the older, much like the New Mutants/X-Force trade-off of 1991. However, since none of the book’s cast, save X-23, would be in the new one, it left fans questioning the fate of the next generation of X-Men.

Turns out, according to a recent press release, there’s a new title in the works:

David Gabriel, Marvel's Senior Vice-President of Sales and Circulation added, "Sales on New X-Men and X-Factor have more than doubled since this started. With new titles launching out of this event such as X-Force, Cable, X-Men: Legacy and Young X-Men, as well as saying good bye to some old favorites, we'll have an entirely new invigorated X line up for 2008! "

So it looks like New X-Men will be replaced by Young X-Men. While it is a much more fitting title, one can’t help but think it’s a cheap ploy to get a new #1…though it’s not as bad as canceling Exiles just to release New Exiles. That’s as lame as it gets.

Anyway, it looks like there will be a place still for the students! That’s good news!

The Wolverine book nobody asked for...

Because one pointless Wolverine title (Wolverine: Origins) apparently wasn't enough, it looks like Marvel will shortly be launching a second come March '08. Apparently in the spirit of the surprisingly good X-Men: First Class, the new title will be Wolverine: First Class, and if what the linked interview with writer Fred Van Lente is all coming to pass, then I am not looking forward to it.

If you've missed it (and you're missing out), Jeff Parker and Roger Cruz's X-Men: First Class takes place during the...uh...First Class of Professor Xavier's school (Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Marvel Girl, Angel) while they were still teenagers. When this time period actually happened in the comics, it was in the middle of the 1960s, and nobody (from the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby founders to later creative teams) seemed to be able to write these kids as, well, kids. They read just like any other Marvel characters at the time (with the exception of Spider-Man) and the joys of youth were completely lost.

First Class allowed news stories during that time period (story-wise) as if the kids were living in the late 90s, early 00s. The premise of the book is not to insert into continuity, but rather to tell the kinds of stories that have the same back story, and allow the reader to have fun with the characters they know.

Wolverine: First Class seems to be missing the point entirely. While saying that this all fits into continuity, by starting out the story right after the close of the Dark Phoenix Saga, the characterization of Wolverine and the relationship between hm and Kitty are off. It feels like he's trying to use the Wolverine of now with the Kitty of then, giving them a mentor/sidekick relationship that did not exist until much later in the book (around the Claremont/Romita era, after their mini-series).

Around Uncanny X-Men #139 (where this story apparently is set), Wolverine was not the trusted veteran that he is today. He was still brash, mysterious, and overly arrogant. In that very issue Wolverine tells Xavier of his intent to return to Canada to sort out his troubles with Department H, Xavier sends Nightcrawler along to chaperon, not fully trusting Wolverine.

Why then would this story have Xavier sending Wolverine on "solo missions" and sending Kitty along for the ride? There is no way that Xavier would subject Kitty to that - especially at that period of her life. Hell, he's the one who demoted her to the New Mutants after he founded the team. The whole concept falls flat. If he's going for the relationship of Wolverine and Kitty after their team-up mini-series, then it needs to be set at that period. To do so at this point, then claim it's in continuity, is wrong - and dumb. I have to ask just how this was allowed.

As for the relationship itself - such a tight bond between the two characters did not come until much later...though it still took me some looking to see how it got so strong. Kitty initially bonded with Storm, then turned to Colossus as she became more comfortable on the team. In fact, the turn was a factor in Storm going to her 'punk look' after Wolverine's wedding. While Wolverine, like Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Angel, all loved Kitty like a little sister, the bond that's being shown in this title just wasn't there until much later.

My point on this? If you want to have this book, then follow X-Men: First Class's example and just tell fun stories in the time period. There's no need to try to push it as in continuity. There's just no way you're going to be able to make that work. It's going to end up like other attempts (X-Men: The Hidden Years and Untold Tales of Spider-Man) as a random memory in the hardcore collector's mind.

Definitely not going on my buy-list.

Messiah Complex - Week 5 Rundown

SPOILER ALERT!!!

THE GIST
Storm's team (Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Archangel) ambush the Marauders with mental assistance from Emma Frost, but her connection to the team is broken when Pixie screws up teleporting the New X-Men out of the Purifier's base and sends out a massive cry of pain. With the advantage theirs again, the Marauders wipe the floor with the X-Men, but not before Gambit reveals to Wolverine just who has the baby. The Sentinels are overrun and attack the mansion just as the X-Men start planning what do about the very-much-alive Cable, who is on the run with the mutant baby.

THE CASUALTY LIST (new casualties italicized)
Pixie (New X-Men) - Injured
Nightcrawler (X-Men) - Shot
Hellion (New X-Men) - Injured
Madrox (X-Factor) - Comatose
Blockbuster (Marauders) - Killed
Prism (Marauders) - Killed

Messiah Complex - Week 4 Rundown

It's been a couple weeks since we took a look at Messiah Complex, so let's take a look at what's gone down. SPOILER ALERT - this will be covering New X-Men #44, which just came out yesterday. You have been warned.

THE GIST
Wolfsbane fakes an attack on the Purifiers, allowing Rictor to infiltrate the group. Madrox and Layla Miller go to Dallas to meet Forge, who tells them that after the new mutant was born, two alternate futures appeared in his sensors. He has Madrox create two dupes and sends them into the future, but Layla jumps on to accompany the second, with apparently no way back. The prime Madrox loses conciousness. Wolverine's squad confronts Amelia Voght, who leads them to the Marauders' Antarctic base, which they attack.

80 years into a possible future, Layla and the Madrox duplicate find a world seemingly without mutants, but quickly learn that all have been herded into "relocation" camps.

The New X-Men confront Cyclops on wanting to assist, but he tells them not to jump the gun. When they discover that the Purifiers are involved, Surge decides to attack, joined by her team, save Prodigy, Dust and Elixir. Armor also accompanies. Both Rictor and the New X-Men discover that the Purifiers do not have the baby, but learn that Lady Deathstrike has joined them - and skewers Hellion through the chest.

THE CASUALTY LIST (new casualties italicized)
Hellion (New X-Men) - Injured, possibly killed
Madrox (X-Factor) - Comatose
Blockbuster (Marauders) - Killed
Prism (Marauders) - Killed

The Weekly Pile (Jacob)

Top of the Pile: Green Arrow/Black Canary #2

The rest of this week's titles may feel cheated, and they have every right to feel so. For some reason, my comic shop did not get this issue when it was due out last week, so I had to wait a week to get it. Long story short, I finally got it and it takes top honors this week. If you're looking for a Messiah CompleX story, perhaps you should try my main blog, Graymalkin Lane. (Cheap plug)

I'm very happy that Judd Winick decided not stretch out the mystery of Ollie's "death" and went head first into the crazy action of the rescue. This is the kind of ridiculous action/adventure that you'd see in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie - and it works perfectly here. The four main GA characters (Ollie, Connor, Dinah and Mia) all get plenty of face time here, and their roles are all done perfectly to not feel that they were shoved in for no reason. The book is hilarious, action packed, and very, very good. This is what I wanted when I decided to buy this book.

The Rest of the Pile

New X-Men #44 - Part four of Messiah CompleX. Check Graymalkin Lane for my thoughts on it.

The Walking Dead #44 - The Governor's attack begins, with casualties on both sides.

X-Men: Emperor Vulcan #3 (of 5) - An uneasy truce is made between Vulcan and Havok - but the threat is a lot bigger than either think.

Powers #27 - As the victims rise, an unexpected former ally returns with a personal stake in the investigation. Also, Deena makes her own move to assist.

Messiah Complex - Week 2 Rundown

Since Messiah Complex will be holding up the X-Books for the next few months, that's what we'll be looking at heavily. With New Excalibur and Exiles gone (not that I read them anyway) and Astonishing X-Men coming out once in a blue moon, the big story is the crossover. So each week, we'll take a look at what's gone down. This week, we'll be looking at both Messiah Complex (One Shot) and Uncanny X-Men #492.

THE GIST
Cerebra detects a new mutant birth, and the effect is so powerful it overloads the system. Cyclops takes Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Angel and Emma Frost to Cooperstown, Alaska to find the child, but find the town in flames. The Purifiers and Marauders both beat them to the town and caused a bloodbath of the town's children. The X-Men find little more than bodies, though they discover that the new mutant, a baby born at a local hospital, is not amongst the slain. As they leave, Predator X arrives on the scene.

As officials try to sort out the mess, the X-Men head out after rogue Acolytes, who they hope will lead them to Exodus, who has teamed with Sinister and the Marauders. Cyclops calls in X-Factor's Madrox and Rictor, using the former to go after Forge and the latter to infiltrate the Purifiers. Professor X is getting upset that Cyclops is leaving him out of the loop.

THE CASUALTY LIST
Blockbuster (Marauders) - Killed
Prism (Marauders) - Killed

The Weekly Pile

Top of the Pile: New Avengers: Illuminati #5 (of 5)

The two sweetest words in the English language: de-fault! The only book in the pile this week was the fifth and final issue of New Avengers: Illuminati by Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Reed, and Jim Cheung. The whole series was an interesting retcon to show how the "illuminati" (Iron Man, Black Bolt, Dr. Strange, Reed Richards, and Namor) have secretly had a hand in some of the major events in Marvel history. But this wasn't just a quaint little history lesson. This series, primarily the first and last issues, set the stage for Secret Invasion, which is Marvel's big to-do for next year. Skrulls, disguised as humans, have infiltrated Earth. Who are they? How long have they been here? What do they control? What's their objective? Who can be trusted? The drama's been building for years and comes to a head when the mini-series kicks off next spring.

I, for one, am excited about it. House of M, Civil War, World War Hulk, and the coming Secret Invasion have flowed together very well for the most part. All the Marvel books I'm reading have told their own good stories in between these events while still tying into the overall universe. It might not all fit together absolutely perfectly but it makes sense and it all flows right into Secret Invasion. And it doesn't seem like too much, too fast like DC's Final Crisis.

Tune in next week when the pickins will be much slim. A lot of books I'm looking forward to such as Booster Gold, Green Arrow and Black Canary, Avengers: The Initiative, and New Avengers.

The Countdown Countdown

No Weeks Left...

Well kids, the time has finally arrived. DC's second weekly series, Countdown has reached the halfway point. I'd been frustrated with this book's lack of any kind of coherent story or forward momentum for quite some time. One month ago I decided that I'd give Countdown until issue #26, the exact midpoint of the series, to pick the story up and convince me to keep reading. To use one of my favorite colloquialisms, Countdown needed to shit or get off the pot.

Issue #26 has "The Turning Point" emblazoned right on the front cover. The end of issue #27 had slightly piqued my curiosity. Surely, I thought, this would be the issue where things took off as Countdown headed for the home stretch. I could not have been more wrong. This was a recap issue. A recap issue!!! Nothing has happened in this book for the last few months. There's nothing to recap! Jimmy Olsen still has powers and we still don't know how he got them. Mary Marvel is still a bitch and we still don't know why. People are still looking for Ray Palmer and we still don't know why. If you've been reading the book at all, you know these things. You don't need a recap issue to to tell you what's going on with everyone! The worst part is, it didn't even recap the things that have happened outside of Countdown that have influenced the book's story. It just told you what's been happening in the book. If you were scratching your head about something before reading issue #26's recap you still will be afterward. And to make matters even worse, a new mystery gets introduced (the black suited Superman) on top of all the other mysteries in Countdown that haven't been explored in the least.

And the last thing, the final nail in the coffin: Jason Todd's betrayal wasn't real. The one thing to come along in this book and make me think that it might be worth sticking around to see how it turns out was a sham. A ruse. A trick. A bit of tomfoolery on the part of Bob the Monitor. Turns out Jason Todd only pretended to shoot Donna Troy in the face and only pretended to join up with Monarch so the "Challengers" could get away. So they could run off to another universe and continue their search for Ray Palmer. The same search that's been fruitless and boring for weeks on end. Huzzah.

So, that's it. I'm done. I'm out. Goodbye. Farewell. Amen. The story may eventually pick up at some point in the second half but I won't be around to see it. There have just been too many weeks of the same crap, killing time, and leaving out important elements of the story. I'm definitely not buying every book DC puts out, I'm not going to go do research on the internet every week to find out what's going on, and I can't just accept it.

DC will no longer get my $2.99 a week for this book.

The Weekly Pile

Top of the Pile: Daredevil Annual #1

Last week's Top of the Pile was Daredevil #101, and this week Ed Brubaker puts out another gem in Daredevil Annual #1. Matt Murdock gets visited by Carlos LaMuerto (a.k.a. The Black Tarantula), just released from prison and looking to turn his life around. Murdock not only gives LaMuerto a job at his law firm but enlists his help in costume as Black Tarantula. Tarantula tries to walk the perfectly straight & narrow but ultimately realizes that he doesn't have the patience to do things Daredevil's way. He returns to his old ways, only this time as a force of good instead of evil.

The Rest of the Pile

Countdown #26 - See The Countdown Countdown.

Ultimate Power #8 - The first seven issues of this title were written by Brian Michael Bendis. This issue was written by Jeph Loeb. Odd.

The Countdown Countdown

One Week Left...

Another week on the Countdown, another week of the stories casually milling around. (Jimmy Olsen is still deciding whether or not to go with Forager, even though it appears that was decided last week.) Well, that's not entirely true. Some of the stories leap forward to another chapter with little or no explanation. (The confrontation between Mary Marvel and Shadowpact that was set up in the last issue is already pretty much over by the time we get to it in this issue.) There's also the continued trend of characters dropping by to say hi and having no real impact on the story. (Two-face, anyone?) There was one thing that stood out in this issue, though: Jason Todd's turn. Him turning his back on his travel buddies to join Monarch's army was an actual exciting twist that came out of nowhere. And not the cheap, illogical "out of nowhere" that a lot of other things in this book have come from. Could this be the thing that saves the book for me? The follow up had better be good since next week is their last chance.

The Weekly Pile

Top of the Pile: Daredevil #101

This book is like Law & Order with a superhero as the main character. The two sides of the book (the stuff in the courtroom and the stuff in the tights) go together so well because Matt Murdock has a strong desire to live both sides of his life. It's not like Batman, where Bruce Wayne is just a public face he puts on. Both characters seem real and substantial. You can chalk all that up to Ed Brubaker being one of the best writers in comics today.

The Rest of the Pile

Countdown #27 - See The Countdown Countdown

Ultimate Spider-Man #115 - As much as Mark Bagley became synonymous with this book after one hundred and ten consecutive issues, I gotta say I like Stuart Immonen's work even more.

Walking Dead #43 - After last month's issue set the stage for the confrontation between the survivors and the people from Woodbury, it seemed kind of a let down for this to be a fill-in issue that didn't advance the story. But that's not to say that this issue was bad. It gave some excellent backstory for The Governor, one of the post despicable villains to come along in years.

The Countdown Countdown

Two Weeks Left...

This week's Countdown #28 was actually a huge improvement over the previous week's, but that's not saying much. Aside from a small child using "I'll be your bestest buddy" to stop a crazed Brother Eye, there wasn't much to insult the intelligence like last week's installment. There was even some semblance of a couple stories actually starting to inch forward with Shadowpact looking to take down Mary Marvel and Jimmy Olsen finally having a purpose in investigating the deaths of the New Gods. But I have to say these new developments feel like part three of a story. Part one took place in the first few weeks of Countdown but we never got part two. How is Jimmy Olsen ready to go for a big time super hero mission when we don't even know why or how he has powers yet?

Could we really be leaving the Newsboy Legion behind so soon after meeting them? Like the Jokester and the majority of the characters from the other Earths, they just seemed to pop their heads up and say "Hi, we're in this book." and then fade away.

And would it kill DC give the reader a little heads up on whats been going on in the DCU between issues of Countdown? Marvel uses recap pages at the beginning of many of their books that make it possible to know what's going on in the event that you missed an issue. If ever a book screamed for that feature, it's Countdown. At the very least and check list of books you should read before reading this week's issue would help immensely. Then you wouldn't be spoiled on things like Big Barda's death in Death of the New Gods #1.

Countdown Advice

Unlike my distinguished colleague here at Comicdom Wrecks, I am enjoying the series. Don't get me wrong, I still think it should not have been done, but I'm not gonna stop buying it. Being a weekly series, it is getting compared to 52, but this is an unfair comparison. 52 was a stand alone series, that anyone could pick up and read. Countdown is not. Countdown was not advertised as such. It was advertised as the "spine" of the DCU, meaning that it was going to tie-in to everything. With that being said, there are 3 ways for someone to enjoy Countdown.

1) Buy every book DC puts out. This the most expensive and time-consuming of the ways to enjoy Countdown. If you buy everything, then you are guaranteed of not missing anything.

2) Find spoilers for the tie-in books. Somewhere, someone online is putting up spoilers for what has happened in the tie-in books. It should be DC, but unfortunately, they are not. Not sure why. They did it for Countdown to Infinite Crisis, and Infinite Crisis. But the message boards on DC's site probably have something. Or there's always Wikipedia.

3) Just accept it. By "just accept it," I mean that just accept that there are a ton of books that are connected to Countdown, and accept that what has happened between issues has happened.

Now, if you can't do any of these 3, then just don't read Countdown. All it will bring you is frustration.

The Weekly Pile

The Top of the Pile

Justice League of America #14 -4 out of 5- by Dwyane McDuffie & Ed Benes

Dwayne McDuffie's "Unlimited" story continues. This issue seemed more like an issue of Superman or Action Comics, than JLA. Which isn't really a bad thing. I just make the comparison because the issue is driven by the drama between Superman and Luthor. Something I haven't seen enough of in the Superman titles. But the Superman books are a rant for another day. Back to the League. I like the teaming of Black Lightning and Superman in this issue. I think it's a good thing for a team book like this to pair the minor characters with the major ones. But more importantly, to make them have just as much of a positive role in the action as the major players. This is important to building up the lesser known characters, so that one day, the Big 3 (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman) may be able to leave the book.

There's nothing complex about McDuffie's writing. It's just enjoyable. It was also nice having Ed Benes back to draw the issue. However, I don't think he's going to be around much longer. Thought I saw someone else solicited for the next story arc.


Rest of the Pile

Countdown #28 -3 out of 5- by Tony Bedard & Al Barrionuevo
See future article.

The Weekly Pile

Top of the Pile: Mighty Avengers #5

It's a shame this book has been so delayed. With the extended periods between issues it's hard to keep up any kind of storytelling pace. The most you can hope for, aside from the creators getting their asses in gear and putting the book out on time, is that the issue is good when it does come out. Mighty Avengers comes through in that department.

Bendis' decent drama and snappy dialog always make his books an entertaining read. His use of random thought bubbles is a great way to give an extra dimension to the characters without having to delve into a lot of expository writing. Frank Cho's art continues to look fantastic and it's sad to know he's the reason the book's so delayed.

The Rest of the Pile

Captain America #31 - This book was very close to being the Top this week. Ed Brubaker continues to craft a compelling story even though the title character's been dead for more than six months.

Captain America: The Chosen #3 - Continuing the story of an aging Cap searching for his replacement.

Countdown #28 - See this week's Countdown Countdown

JLA #14 - The Injustice League, a large gathering of villains who seem to have gotten together just to get together. This may sound weird, but it reads more like a cartoon than a comic book.

Marvel Zombies 2 #1 - Nothing special here, just the same gory fun as the first series. Robert Kirkman continues to be one of my favorite writers.

Ultimate Fantastic Four #47 - I'm torn about this book. It hasn't been bad, it just hasn't been interesting.

Wolverine: Origins #18 - Wolverine fights Nazis with Captain America, Bucky, and a young Nick Fury.

The Countdown Countdown

I mentioned in a previous post that I would only be giving DC's Countdown four more weeks to convince me to keep reading. For those four issues, I'll be posting a special review of them that I'm calling The Countdown Countdown. Enjoy.


Three More Weeks...

Let's see...a lot of other stuff has gone on with this series' characters since the last issue, so I'm kind of at a loss for some of it... I can barely handle the excitement when Jimmy Olsen teams up with the Newsboy Legion, who claim that they recognized "their old pal" Jimmy as Mr. Action even though his costume features a mask. I'm only bringing that up because it makes Olsen and everyone else look like an idiot for not picking up on Superman's secret identity when his costume is a pair of glasses...Piper & Trickster wanted for murder of one of the world's most beloved heroes, waltz into a diner during the day, in costume and claim to have passed themselves off as singing telegram guys...The Jokester dies after serving his purpose of, um, well nothing really. He was just sort of there to crack wise for a couple weeks.

Not only did nothing substantial happen, but the book was filled with enough flawed internal logic to choke an elephant. Better luck next week.

The Weekly Pile

Top of the Pile: Green Arrow/Black Canary #1

My favorite book this week wasn't even on my list when I went to the comic shop. I collect somewhere around eighteen books a month and only three of them (not counting Countdown, which I'll address in another post) are published by DC. Two others are published by Image, the rest by Marvel. I'd been meaning to address this disparity, wanting to read more DC but I had no idea where to turn. I considered Batman, Flash, and Green Lantern but the fact that they're all far into their current titles was a bit intimidating. I like to start at the beginning, and I'm a bit of a completist. I wanted something I could jump right on and didn't have to spend an arm and a leg for back issues if necessary. I'd always liked Green Arrow, and when I saw a #1 with his name on it I thought I'd give it a shot. I couldn't be more glad I did. Writer Judd Winick and artist Cliff Chiang won me over and DC earns another spot on my list.

The Rest of the Pile
Booster Gold #3- As confusing as the may be, I love time travel stories. And I love Booster Gold, so this book's always enjoyable.

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #24- Part two of One More Day. It seems like they're building toward some huge deus ex machina to undo the tragedy of Aunt May and somehow affect Peter & MJ's marriage. I've got a bad feeling about this.

New Avengers #35- An inside look at the Hood's new criminal organization. Not much of the Avengers, though.

Punisher: War Journal #12- Frank protects the innocent citizens of a New York neighborhood from a rogue soldier from the Hulk's army.

Wolverine #58- This story is leaning more toward the mystic, which failed so spectacularly with Jeph Loeb's Evolution. Why can't we just just get a good Wolverine story where he plays Dirty Harry and slaughters the bad guys? I guess that'd be too simple.

Craptain America

So apparently this is Alex Ross' new design for a new Captain America, set to debut in January's Captain America #34. We don't know who's under the mask, although Marvel promises its not Steve Rogers as he's still dead. Putting aside the fact that this new fella is toting a handgun and hunting knife, which is totally not Captain America, what do I think of the costume? One word: Ugh. The black and ultra shiny red, white, and blue don't go together well at all. The triangular design is reminiscent of Ross' unused original movie Spider-Man costume, which I was also not a fan of. Just replace the red, webbed part with the American flag. I can really only think of one thing that would make this aesthetically unpleasing apparel worthwhile, and that's it this new Captain America turns out to be none other than Bucky Barnes. That'd also explain the weapons.

I know there are some people out there who think everything Alex Ross touches turns to gold, but I'm not one of them. He paints pretty pictures of already existing characters and costumes, but his original designs are hit & miss with me.

Book of the Week - 10/10/07

Booster Gold #3; rating 4 out of 5

Booster Gold and Skeets continue their mission of protecting the timeline. This week, they find themselves in the 1800s, in the company of the gunfighter Jonah Hex, protecting Superman. Someone is trying to alter the history of Jonathan Kent, so that him and Martha are not around to find the baby Kal-El. Another problem at hand is that someone has stolen the Supernova suit from Daniel Carter.

Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz did a fine job with the script. But then again, when Johns' name is on the book, the quality of the story is never really in question. The pacing of the story makes it a quick read. The dialogue moves nicely, and exchanges between characters is always enhancing the relationship between them.

Dan Jurgens artwork does nice job of adding to the story. The facial expressions just enhance what the characters are saying.


Rest of what I read:

Superman #668 by Kurt Busiek and Rick Leonardi; 3 out of 5; "The Third Kryptonian" story starts of with an adequate issue, setting up the rest of the story.

Countdown #29 by Adam Beechen and Manuel Garcia; 3 out of 5; Finally, Countdown seems to be going somewhere with this issue, which is much better than the last few.

Counting Down What's Left of My Patience

A little over eight months ago a friend convinced me to start reading 52, DC's weekly series that was supposed to chronicle what happed between Infinite Crisis and the One Year Later story jump. Issue #41 had just come out, so I sat down with a huge stack of books in front of me and cracked open issue #1. About three days later I was caught up and in love with the story. Now, I've never been a big DC fan but the story arcs contained in 52, particularly that of Booster Gold, enthralled me. I bought the last eleven issues of 52 myself and they didn't disappoint. That's why when DC announced that another weekly series, Countdown, would begin immediately following 52 I was excited. Here was a series where I could get in on the ground floor and if it was going to be anything like 52 I was in for a treat.

Fast forward twenty-one weeks and I'm still waiting for my treat. The first few issues of Countdown were interesting enough but the book has been spinning its wheels ever since. Here's what's happened in some of the storylines:

-Mary Marvel gets Black Adam's powers then starts to get bitchier by the week. She seeks help from Zatanna but thinks she's trying to steal her powers. The two fight and Mary takes off. She then accepts the help of Klarion the Witch Boy, who actually was trying to steal her powers. The two fight and Mary takes off. Now she's working with Eclipso and one can only wonder how that will turn out.

-Piper and Trickster were on the run because they weren't trusted by the rest of the Rogues, then they were on the run because they were accused of killing The Flash (Bart Allen). Now they're on the run because they escaped after The Flash (Wally West) caught them. They don't like each other and they're chained together. Hilarity ensues.

-Jimmy Olsen is somehow exhibiting random super powers. He can't control them and doesn't know how he got them or why he has them.

-Donna Troy, Jason Todd, and Bob the Monitor went searching first the Palmerverse (the microscopic civilization that exists all around us discovered by former The Atom, Ray Palmer) then the multiverse for Ray Palmer, who's been missing since the end of Infinite Crisis. Each week they seem to be on the trail only for someone to tell them that Palmer was here but he's gone now. Sorry Mario, but your princess is in another castle.

-There's supposedly a "great disaster" coming and absolutely no clues have been provided as to what it could be.

Now all those things, at their core, are interesting enough ideas. And if all these things were going on in, let's say, week ten that'd be fine. But this is week twenty-one. One more month and the series will already be half way over. We're still no better off at understanding what any of these stories mean, where they're headed, and how they're related to each other than when the book started. The series is progressing at a snail's pace. It's as if they know they don't have enough story to fill out fifty-two issues and they're producing filler. What this reeks of, I hate to say it, is DC wanting to cash in on the success of 52 with another weekly series. And that's a sound marketing strategy, so more power to them. But the readers will only continue to shell out the extra three bucks as week as long as you continue to produce a good product.

And that's what the point of this entry is, me deciding if I want to continue shelling out that extra three bucks as week as long as Countdown's going nowhere fast. And here's what I've come up with: DC, you've got me until week twenty-six. Four more issues. That's the exact half way point of the series. If there hasn't been at least one major development by then, I'm done. No more for me, thank you. The book's not bad, it's just not interesting. As I said I'm not a big DC fan, and maybe that's part of it, but I'd like to read more. So come on...give me a reason to keep reading Countdown.

Countdown to Messiah Complex: Avengers Disassembled

Avengers 500-503, Avengers Finale

What Happened:
Scarlet Witch, whose powers have been steadily driving her mad, finally blows a gasket and subconsciously manifests a number of attacks upon the Avengers, crippling the mansion, injuring half the team, and killing three members. When they confront her, Dr. Strange stops her assault, but shatters her mind in the process. Magneto arrives to take his daughter to Charles Xavier for help, and the remaining Avengers, devastated, disband the team.

What Matters:
Scarlet Witch goes nuts
Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Hawkeye, Vision, and Agatha Harkness all die.
Wasp, Captain Britain (Kelsey Kirkland), and She Hulk are seriously injured.
Iron Man is forced to resign as Secretary of Defense of the United States.
The Avengers disband, leaving the mansion in ruins.

Why it's Significant:
Are you kidding? This is where it all starts! While most of the serious events of this story have since been reversed (new Ant-Man, Hawkeye and Vision alive, all injured parties fine, Iron Man director of SHIELD, two teams of Avengers) this directly sets up House of M and its subsequent outcome, M-Day. This is where it all starts, folks.

Countdown to Messiah Complex

With the X-Men mega event Messiah Complex right around the corner, the ongoing titles are winding down and preparing for action. While things are simmering, it's a good time to look back and see how we got to this point, and where it may be going.

So all through the month of October, from now until the Messiah Complex one-shot hits the shelves on October 31, the Comicdom Wrecks! resident X-Men junkie (me) will be going through all the storylines that have gone on from M-Day to this point in all four of the relevant titles - Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, X-Factor, and New X-Men. We may even add in a relevant storyline or two here and there (Avengers: Disassembled and The Collective).

When Messiah Complex hits the shelves, you'll be up to date on all (relevant) things X, so stay tuned!

Did I Miss Something?

After much waiting, Teen Titans #50 came out a couple weeks ago. I was greatly anticipating this issue, as it surely would spell the end of the Countdown-related filler that the book had been sitting on for the past three months. Nothing against the "tragic end" of Duela Dent or the tie-in with Amazons Attack, but the Titans had been a bit aimless for that period, and I was looking forward to them turning a new corner with new writer Sean McKeever on board.

When I read issue 50, though, I felt like that corner had already been turned down and they were taking a break to reflect on another event. Titans finally got around to mourning the fallen Bart Allen, but it was not this that caught me wrong in the book - it was that Supergirl was a member of the Titans. I didn't miss an issue, did I? When did this happen? Then there was Cyborg leaving for his Titans East team. What? When did this come about? Suddenly, the Titans are a drastically changed team (changed from the drastically changed team of the One Year Later jump), with no cohesive story to explain it. These things just happened - deal with it.

The same had taken place earlier in the year when the Lightning Saga started over in Justice League of America. After reading the first issue, I called my friend (and Comicdom Wrecks! conspirator) Casey and asked when Geo-Force had joined the JLA and Black Canary been elected leader. Neither had been pointed out in the story (in fact, it was signaled against in Geo-Force's case), and were simply mentioned in the context of the new story.

I'm not a fan of throwing changes on without having something take place to explain them. Sure the Titans had just fought a Titans East team led by Deathstroke, but there was no setup to create a new team under that name. It seemed like someone had forgotten to set it up, so they just had to say "And this is happening too. Read it!" To further future stories, consistent setup is necessary, or anything can happen for no reason. Continuity must be established and maintained. A sense of stability is needed to maintain a reader's suspension of non-belief that comics so require.

So please, stop with the jumping. It's giving me a headache.

Casey's Book of the Week: 8-22-07

Avengers: The Initiative #5

Even though there've only been five issues of this title, it'd take me while a while to explain everything that's happened so far. If you've been paying attention to the Marvel Universe at all over the past year you know all about the Super Human Registration Act the Fifty States Initiative. Anyone with powers wishing to put on a costume and fight evil doers must register with the government. Young and/or new heroes must report to Camp Hammond in Stamford, CT for training. Once they've been put through the ringer and earned their stripes they'll be assigned to one of fifty teams, one for each state. I hardly think Rhode Island needs it's own super hero team, but I digress. This book tells the story of those young and/or new heroes. That's the bare-bones basics of The Initiative.

Writer Dan Slott does a fantastic job of creating new characters and dusting off obscure ones to be the stars of his book. Not only does he make them work within the book, he makes them work in the greater context of the Marvel Universe. Case in point, this issue features two separate teams of trainees facing off against the rampaging Hulk.

There's the action, the angst, and the drama of a great team book. There's even a compelling mystery going on with another set to start next issue. Shining a spotlight directly on registration and The Initiative (the good and the bad), this book is one of the most important in the post-Civil War Marvel U.

Casey's Top and Bottom of the Pile: 8-22-07

TOP: Wolverine #56
This book gets top of the pile honors this week for simply being a breath of fresh air after writer Jeph Loeb's lackluster, continuity error laden, and often boring six-issue run. New writer Jason Aaron tells a decent story, but it doesn't really matter since he's only filling in on this one issue before Marc Guggenheim returns. Howard Chaykin's art is solid, though not as pretty as Simone Bianchi's. His style fits the tone of the book, so it's a good thing he'll be sticking around to work with Guggenheim. Here's hoping Wolverine can get back on track.



BOTTOM: The Sensational Spider-Man #40

This wasn't a bad issue, it just felt like filler until the big One More Day event kicks off next month. We get a flashback to Spidey's origin and some of the bigger moments in his life. He then has a chat with "god" who tells him that what he does makes a difference in the world. With this being the last issue before the final issue of the series it seems like a missed opportunity. Cover artist Clayton Crain does the interiors on this one and the whole thing is absolutely beautiful. I really hope Marvel keeps him around for more Spider-Man work on the new Amazing Spider-Man.


The Rest of the Pile: The Amazing Spider-Man #543, Countdown #36, Ultimate Fantastic Four #45, Invincible #45, The Walking Dead #40

Top and Bottom of the Pile: 8-22-07

It's been a couple weeks since I did this, so I guess I should get off my lazy duff and get to it! Back in the swing of things!

TOP: Immortal Iron Fist #8
Last issue of Iron Fist hit the bottom of the list not because of a lack of quality in the story, but because having a interlude issue featuring a former Iron Fist seemed to kill the momentum of the storyline. This picks it right back up and runs with it, reintroducing Danny to K'un-Lun and preparing him for the tournament between the champions of other fabled cities. Fight's ready to go and if this issue is an indication of things to come, it's going to be good.

BOTTOM: Cable & Deadpool #44
This book is in an odd spot where Cable has supposedly been killed over in the pages of X-Men, so this book is trying to push on without him. That the cover had Wolverine written over Cable's name is a joke on the frequency of Wolvie appearances. Nicieza worked to set up a base for Deadpool in Cable's absence, and he's got a neat cast of side characters with Agency X, Weasel, and Bob from HYDRA. Still, this book seems to be filling time while waiting for Cable's return, and if November's solicits ring true, then it'll be a while.

Rest of the Pile: Astonishing X-Men #22, The Order #2, Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #33, Walking Dead #40, X-Men #202, X-Men: First Class #3

Welcome to Comicdom Wrecks!

The staff of Comicdom Wrecks! (all one of me) proudly announces that the staff size has doubled! Now providing his take on the comicdom world will be Casey Matthis - if I can actually get him to write once in a while. Welcome aboard!

Debut Issue: The Order #1

When I pick up a new title, I'll try to slap together a first-impressions piece on it called, of course, Debut Issue. Yeah, I realize I missed it for Thor, but I'll go back and get it before too long. In fact, I might go back to issue 1 of all my monthly titles, as a mix of From the Box. We'll see. Anyway, onto The Order #1.

This is another Initiative book taking place in the fallout of Civil War. With the registration side winning, the government pushed ahead the "Fifty States Initiative" which means a super hero team in every US state. Yes, even Montana.

The Order follows the California-based team introduced briefly in the pages of Civil War. There, they were called the Champions (based on the 80s team featuring Iceman, Angel, Hercules, and others) as would the book have been had not Marvel been alerted that someone else owned rights to the name. So forget the Champions were mentioned and we have The Order. Good times.

This seems like an odd idea - a team of hired heroes using manufactured powers, filling roles of Greek gods. Oh and Pepper Potts is running the show. Yeah, Tony Stark's secretary. I'm not familiar with the character - all I know is that she was a secretary and now she's leading The Order in an Oracle-like role. The team introduced in Civil War and again at the beginning of the issue don't even make it to the end. Four violate behavior agreements by getting publicly sloshed and get booted from the program, which allows the core cast to come in.

This is what sets this team apart from Avengers: The Initiative. There, you have kids being trained in the use of their powers behind closed doors. Here, you have trained volunteers taking center stage and trying to rebuild the trust lost in the New Warriors incident. It's an interesting premise, and Matt Fraction doesn't often disappoint (from what I've read of his work). With Barry Kitson (of Legion of Superheroes) on art, this looks to be a good one. Let's see how long it goes.

Fare thee well, Flash.

It's not often that I drop one of my monthly titles (not since New Excalibur stunk in up for five months), but it's time for me and Flash to part ways. I originally picked up the title because I was a big fan of Bart Allen (stemming from my time as a Young Justice reader), but when he met his end in Flash: Fastest Man Alive #13, I wasn't sure where to go from there. I saw that Wally West was back, but in the preview pages for the upcoming Flash book, it seems that the story will be focused on Wally and his family - something that doesn't at all interest me. I'll take my Flash doses in the pages of Justice League of America and part ways with Flash upon the new series.

Of course, I have started reading The Order by Matt Fraction and Barry Kitson, so it's not a total loss.

Nuff said.

(Of course, don't look at the Namor or Bucky-style arms or the Human Torch-esque flames which all scream World War II Invaders - enjoy the Alex Ross goodness.)

Don't worry - he'll be back in a couple years.

Once every so often, companies take a character that has had spurts of popularity here and there and decide to try again on a solo series. Try again - because all previous attempts have fizzled out not long after the launch. These characters, they think, should be franchise players, but try as they might, they cannot muster a fanbase strong enough to warrant an ongoing.

On that note, it should come as no surprise that Marvel's Blade is (once again) getting the axe after twelve issues.

Marvel has a string of characters that once in a while they will try to push to the top tier, only to fail time and time again. Perennial background players like Ghost Rider, Blade, and whichever Captain Marvel is current are pushed into the limelight, but the fans just don't buy it. The latest incarnations of Blade and Ghost Rider are no doubt thanks to the movie hype the two have gained (though Ghost Rider's wasn't exactly positive, and Blade's was a bit overdue), but for Blade, it wasn't enough. One year, and he's through.

But when thinking about the character, it really shouldn't be a surprise that Blade can't make it as a solo series. The main appeal of mainstream super heroes is that they can fight anyone, anywhere. It takes a story base (Fantastic Four - science, X-Men - mutation, Thor - folklore, Avengers - homestyle heroics) and pushes on. Blade has a very limited scope - he's a half-vampire vampire hunter who, uh, hunts vampires. In a massive event like Civil War or World War Hulk, Blade completely feels out of place. Why should he care about registration? He's not a hero - he simply hunts vampires.

Blade's a perfect character to show up as a guest star when a title like Amazing Spider-Man or New Avengers enters a vampire-based storyline (which hasn't happened in quite some time). As for his own, Blade deserves a mini-series at best, but when you push beyond, there's not really much else you can do with the character. It's a fate, no doubt, that Ghost Rider will (once again) be meeting before too long.

So farewell, Blade. We'll see you in a few years when your movie trilogy comes out in a special edition boxed set.

Some titles just won't stay dead.

Remember back in 1992 when the first wave of Image books debuted? I saw Youngblood for the first time, and I thought it was awesome. Nevermind that it had the artwork of Rob Liefeld, several characters that looked like rip-offs of existing characters (like nobody noticed the similarities between Cable and Battlestone:








The title, like many of Image's early books, was plagued with mediocre stories, ridiculous amounts of action, underdeveloped characters, and heavy delays in release. The title made it 10 issues, with a spin-off inexplicably putting out double that number. Since then, the book has seen numerous attempted revivals, none of which making it to issue 15. Actually, most of them didn't make it to issue 3. With so many aborted revivals, it was almost impossible to keep up with the characters, the plot, and pretty much anything else needed to keep a franchise afloat.

So, of course, they're going to try again.

Written by Joe Casey and drawn by Derec Donovan, we're going to be treated to yet another Youngblood relaunch to see if this time they can make it consistent. The funny thing is that Youngblood's past is so messed up, Casey has said that they're going to go forward without trying to deal with the past. If they can make it work - good for them. I thought Youngblood was cool when it first came out - but of course, I was 10.

I'm not sure Youngblood's going to have enough of a fan base to make it for any significant period. It's had so many misfires over the years, this one may quietly fade, and take with it the legacy of Youngblood. It's about nine years overdue.

Top and Bottom of the Pile: 8-1-2007

TOP: Uncanny X-Men #489
Tough crowd to beat this week, but Uncanny managed to pull ahead with a mix of good storytelling, excellent art and a twist here and there. Keeping with Fantastic Four's story with cameos from Human Torch and Thing, the story keeps on task while not allowing the reader to question 'Well why didn't they just do that?' The story is also redefining Professor X's character after M-Day, the subsequent actions by the government, and the fallout from Vulcan's rampage, giving him a fresh feel for the first time in who knows how long. That, and it's got Salvador Larroca on art. 'Nuff said.

BOTTOM: Fantastic Four #548
Speaking of the FF, this book takes the bottom spot not because it's bad, but because it's just...it. This story, much like the one before it, has lacked excitement. Villains hatch plans, heroes fight plans, surprise villain shows up at the end of the issue, only to no doubt be defeated next issue. It's a straightforward story that feels out of place in post-Civil War Marvel. Plus, it seems that the Black Panther can do no wrong. Period. I do have to give it up to McDuffie for remembering that Klaw got sucked into his own device in New Avengers a while ago.

Rest of the Pile: Justice Society of America #8, New Avengers: Illuminati #4, Thor #2, World War Hulk #3

Top and Bottom of the Pile: 7-25-2007

TOP: Mighty Avengers #4
It's been a while since we last saw Mighty Avengers, and I can't really say that it's been worth the wait, but there's a few things that this issue does to make its way to the top of the pile. For one, this marks the first time since issue 1 that the team does something besides stare at Ultron. Seriously, you could skip from the end of the first issue to this point and you'd only be scratching your head about one, maybe two things. Also, the surprise ending leaves the next issue quite appealing, as well as wondering where World War Hulk fits into all this. Finally, Ares using the bottom half of Iron Man armor to replace his destroyed gun is priceless. Fun read.

BOTTOM: Immortal Iron Fist #7
EDIT: After going back and reading the story, I somehow completely missed out on the context of the story. This was completely fitting with a character introduced in the first story, but still remains in this section because it breaks the momentum of the story. Damn.

Rest of the Pile: Cable & Deadpool #43, Supergirl & the Legion of Super-Heroes #32, Teen Titans #49, Walking Dead #39, X-Men #201, X-Men: First Class #2

Marvel doesn't learn from mistakes, either.

Fans have grown somewhat weary of writers from outside the comic industry coming in and running the show. The excitement met with Kevin Smith's arrival on Green Arrow has long since become a thing of the past.

So, when Marvel announces that writer/producer Mike Benson (Entourage, among others) is hopping onto Moon Knight with regular writer Charlie Huston, I can't say that I was overly amused. After all, I'm a fan still waiting for the 22nd issue of Astonishing X-Men that was originally solicited for April. That was written by another such figure, Joss Whedon. Remember when he was exciting too? How about Kevin Smith (director of Clerks, Dogma)'s Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do? That had an almost four year gap between the third and fourth issues that felt like an entirely different story!

Of course, this is being co-written by the title's ongoing writer, right? Well, in the same interview, they say that Huston will be handing over full writing duties of Moon Knight to Benson after he gets the flow of writing. This doesn't look good. Of course, to argue with myself, I could bring up the fact that director Richard Donner (Superman, The Goonies) teamed up with Geoff Johns on Action Comics and the two needed five issues between parts three and four of their five part story. Guess that one goes out the window.

But Newsarama was good enough to ask Benson of this trend, and he replied with a less than shining response:

I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep but this project is really important to me. I want everyone—from new readers to the die-hard fans—to know that I’m not just coming in here and putting my thumbprint down on the character and then blasting back out. I understand what it’s like to be waiting for these books to come out—because you want to read them.

So color me skeptical, but I don't see this book breaking the set in trend. So if you got frustrated by Whedon's Runaways (which seems to be missing an extra month between each issue), Damon Lindelof (co-creator of Lost)'s Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk (which shipped two issues then promptly vanished, having passed the solicit date for the third issue in April of 2006), or Smith's Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target (which has not shipped its second issue after being launched in late 2002), don't single out Moon Knight as a book to fill the void. Save yourself the hurt and just pick up an ongoing you know you can appreciate...like New Avengers.

Does anyone ever listen to me?

Hey, hey, hey! Did anyone hear what I said about Crisis? Come on! A countdown to a crisis to a countdown to a countdown to a crisis. Enough! Just destroy the damn universe and be done with it!

JLA: Walls (11)

It's not often that you see a standalone issue these days, especially in a high profile book such as JLA. With the success of the trade paperback, stories are usually set to fit nicely by storyline within an easily-collectible volume. While it's not as bad as it had been over the past three years, it's still a rarity to get the issue that bridges between two story arcs.

And of course, when you do get one, it's usually featuring at least one guest talent to let the regular team rest up for the upcoming story. The result is often a forgettable mesh looking to kill time.

But that's not at all what's found in this book.

With Gene Ha providing artwork, Brad Meltzer takes two of his lesser known cast members, Red Arrow and Vixen, and gives them an issue of dialog with one another. Really, that's it. You have some random crowd noise in the beginning and end, but overall, it's just dialog between the two, along with the inner monologue that has become commonplace in the title. The result is pure gold.

The basic story is that during a battle with Dr. Polaris, a building toppled over into the Potomac River with Red Arrow and Vixen buried inside. With tight panels with lots of space in between, Ha gives the reader the claustrophobic feel of the characters as they calm each other and make their escape out. It gives a feeling of tension usually saved for a movie thriller or particularly involved novel, as you really worry about both characters.

Meltzer takes the opportunity to make the reveal of Vixen's abilities hinted throughout the last few issues, but in a way that suggests that more will come of this. The whole issue humanizes both characters and allows the readers to truly bond with them. They feel the fight for life and cheer when the ending comes. The twist (literally) at the end was quite unexpected as well.

This was a fantastic issue that really pushed both characters forward. A lesser team probably would have produced a lackluster thriller-wannabe, but Meltzer and Ha came through and made this book an exciting read. Definitely the best issue I've seen in months.

Ultimate Spider-Man: The Talk (111)

In the middle of the "Clone Saga" storyline, Peter finally revealed to Aunt May that he was Spider-Man. She promptly had a heart attack. After spending "Ultimate Knights" in a hospital bed, Aunt May finally comes home and has the opportunity to talk to Peter one on one about his dual-identity.

This issue is important for two major reasons. Number one, this is the 'passing of the torch' issue between outgoing penciler Mark Bagley and the incoming Stuart Immonen. Bagley has been on this title since the beginning without missing a single issue, breaking with writer Brian Bendis the record for longest ongoing title streak, previously held at 102 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four. Now, with #111, Bagley shares the pencil duty with his successor, and the issue flows well with it.

The second reason is in the story itself. In mainstream Marvel continuity, Aunt May learned of Peter's alter-ego several years ago. Since then, she has become a more central support member of the cast, able to give him advice for both lives he leads. The difference between there and here is that the original Peter is an adult, and May knows this. In Ultimate, Peter is still in high school, underage and still under May's direct care. This makes a much different relationship between the two, as now May is likely going to be much more in the center of things.

It must also be taken into account the differences between the mainstream Aunt May and her Ultimate counterpart. While a grandmotherly figure for the adult Peter Parker, in Ultimate, she's much more of a motherly figure, much younger than her counterpart. She greatly cares for Peter, but is often frustrated by his actions. It's a much different relationship between the two, like an actual teenager/adult relationship, rather than the happy times that were frequent in 60s comics, when the original was in high school.

My only problem is that a plot point of "Clone Saga" - May knowing that Richard Parker was alive and telling Peter to get out - seems to be quietly forgotten with little mention. May dismisses that she ever told Peter to leave and that's the end of that. As long as the whole Richard thing doesn't come up again, who cares, right? I, for one, am not going to dwell on it.

The issue itself is good, with Bendis doing dialog like only he can. Bagley covers the conversation art, while Immonen takes the flashback action sequences. It's really not the best example to show off Immonen to readers not familiar with him, since much of Ultimate Spider-Man takes place out of costume. But I'm familiar with his run on Ultimate X-Men, and I'm quite pleased with his new role.

So the title takes a turn in a new direction with a new artist. Perhaps it will be the breath of fresh air that this title seems to have been needing.

Top and Bottom of the Pile: 7-18-2007

TOP: Justice League of America #11
The concept of an issue of nothing but dialog between Red Arrow and Vixen may not be appealing at first, but with the level of drama created by Brad Meltzer and guest artist Gene Ha, this issue is without a doubt the best comic I've read in months. It adds appreciation to two overlooked characters (the only one more so would probably be Black Lightning) and makes a fantastic read of a bridging issue between two story arcs. For more, check out my comments on the issue coming this weekend.


BOTTOM: New X-Men #40
New X-Men continues through the grisly motions that have become disturbingly common for this book. Only this time, they're in Limbo, so the kids and be killed multiple times, hopefully satisfying Craig Kyle and Chris Yost's bloodlust enough for them to possibly make it through the next arc without killing anybody! It's nice to see the other students getting the spotlight, but the ridiculously dark tone needs to lighten up and quick. Also, how many newer readers are going to remember Amanda Sefton, a character who really hasn't been in mainstream focus since she was a side-character in Uncanny X-Men back in the 80s? Yeah, she was in late Excalibur stories, but it wasn't canceled because a ton of people were reading it.


The Rest of the Pile: Ultimate Spider-Man #111, All Flash #1, World War Hulk #2, World War Hulk: X-Men #2

JSA: Indestructable (7)

It's not often you see a standalone story nowadays, especially in a team book featuring about a dozen different characters. This, actually, is kind of an epilogue to the first storyline that saw the JSA take on the Fourth Reich in an effort to preserve the family lines of patriotic-themed heroes. During that story, the family of the original General Steel were massacred in one of the most disturbing scenes in a non-independent title (remember the meeting of Michone and the Governor in Walking Dead?). In the back stories, Dr. Mid-Nite and Mr. Terrific commented on the effects that Reichsmark regurgitating on the face of Nate Heywood, grandson of General Steel, regrowing his missing leg and changing him into a metallic-skinned being lacking the sense of touch.

This storyline should have been the follow-up to the first storyline, but unfortunately the title was tied up for two issues while the team was running around in the Lightning Saga. So here, we get back on track and find that Nate does indeed become the hero shown on the cover of issue 1 decked out in a variation of General Steel's costume. But, of course, since Nate's not in the military, Power Girl changes the name to 'Citizen Steel' and we have a new hero.

Nate is a very tragic character. His family murdered before his eyes, his constant pain from a football injury replaced by the numbness of his metallic skin, he's definitely not the ray of sunshine that can be found with Cyclone or Stargirl. Also, he's the team's reluctant hero that would rather sit at home and do nothing than go out and fight crime. The only reason he got into the fray this issue is because it had to do with the Nazis that attacked his family. And, of course, when Nazis are involved, who doesn't want to go in and beat the crap out of them? Don't deny it.

The only problem here is that the JSA already has a tragic character in the form of Damage. Damage is a former reluctant hero who finally got into the act just in time for his face to be hideously scarred, forcing him to wear a mask. I suppose that a roster as big as the JSA's has room for the two of them, and maybe the two will work well of each other, but it doesn't seem to be the case at this point. If Geoff Johns leaves this title, I don't see Citizen Steel getting much more time in the spotlight.

There's also an afterthought to the Lightning Saga here as Superman visits the still-insane Starman in the mental hospital to ask about the Legion, but this seems to be just an opportunity to get Starman to say funny things. If there's a point to this, it needs to be made because the incoherent rambling is getting old.

Top and Bottom of the Pile 7-11-2007

TOP: X-Factor #21
X-Factor continues to be one of the best books of my 20+ monthly titles, and this issue is a good reason why. Unlike other X-Books that are focused on missions and fights, this title is strictly about the characters, and it's a premise that allows Peter David's talents to shine. This issue sees the still-thick tension between Madrox, Siryn and Monet ever since Madrox accidentally slept with both of them in one night. It also rehashes the long-forgotten relationship between Wolfsbane and Rictor, and sets up a future storyline - looks like someone's pregnant! With three characters (that we know of) eligible for the spot, who's it going to be?

BOTTOM: Ultimate X-Men #84
This is an example of a decent book getting outweighed in an excellent week. Ultimate X-Men wasn't bad, but it just couldn't match up with X-Factor, New Avengers, and JSA. The problem this book has had since Mark Millar left has been a lack of identity. Brian Bendis didn't really get the characters and left a lot of them in the background. Brian Vaughan left as he was hitting his stride on the book. Robert Kirkman has been stepping it up and has even rebuilt the team to get his own direction set in stone. I'm not completely sold on the new lineup (Bishop, Storm, Pyro, Wolverine, Dazzler, Angel, Psylocke), but at least the book is moving away from the generic hole it's been sitting in for years now.