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Your First Look At Secret Avengers #27 – An Avengers Vs. X-Men Tie-In!

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Your First Look At SECRET AVENGERS #27 – An AVENGERS VS. X-MEN Tie-In!

Marvel is proud to present your first look at, Secret Avengers #27, an explosive tie-in to the critically acclaimed blockbuster event of the year – Avengers VS. X-Men! From the red-hot team of Rick Remender & Renato Guedes, Captain Marvel is reborn to unite all Kree across the galaxy! But, as the Kree rally – Thor and his team must face off against Captain Marvel, The Protector & Ms. Marvel in an attempt to halt the Phoenix Force! Want to know the mysterious connection the Kree have with the Phoenix Force? Find out in Secret Avengers #27, hitting comic shops worldwide, the Marvel Comics app and the all-new Marvel Comics web store – this May!

You’ve heard It’s Coming—and now The War Is Here in Avengers VS X-Men! All your favorite super heroes enter—and only one team will emerge victorious!

Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX!

SECRET AVENGERS #27 (MAR120543)
Written by RICK REMENDER
Pencils by RENATO GUEDES
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
Rated T+…$3.99
FOC –4/30/2012, ON SALE – 5/23/2012

Comic Book (sort of) Weekly Reviews – 2/22/12

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Getting closer to catching up with reviews….

All-Star Western #6 – The mystery of the abducted children is solved as Hex and Arkham’s adventure comes to a close.  Hex is now heading to New Orleans which should be fun and interesting.  The series so far has been decent and I’ve enjoyed it being tied together with the modern DC universe, a nice touch.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

American Vampire #24 – We get more of a background of how events got to where they are.  I’m loving the setting, action and how this arc is plotted out.  Solid stuff and I’d expect no less from Scott Snyder.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Aquaman #6 – Mera goes food shopping, and things progress as you’d expect.  The story is predictable, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Avengers Academy #26 – We find out who and sort of why Reptil was sent back from the future, and it’s not what I expected.  The series hasn’t always been great, but it’s moving in the right direction to get there.  Getting better with each issue.

Story: 7.25 Art: 7 Overall: 7.25

Batman: The Dark Knight #6 – Bane is back and I can’t say I like this pumped up version compared to what we last saw in Secret Six.  This is just a hulking behemoth with no thought or depth compared to a rather complex character that grew from the 1 dimensional character he sprung from.

Story: 6.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7

Captain America & Bucky #627 -The story is cool in a retro sort of way, but that’s how he takes down Captain America?!  With a hug?!

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7

Chew #20 – Olive Chu goes on a mission and learns more about her abilities.  As usual, the story is over the top and so much fun.  This series is a must buy for every.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Fantastic Four #603 – The Fantastic Four and Galactus take on the Mad Celestials as the story continues to come together.  What’s been years in the making is finally coming to a close and the big picture is clearer.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall:8

The Flash #6 – The new Captain Cold?  Really don’t like.  The story though is ok and always great art.

Story: 7 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7

Green Lantern: New Guardians #6 – Interesting concepts, but not the best execution.  Lots of potential here that’s not being met yet.

Story: 6.75 Art:7.5 Overall: 6.75

I, Vampire #6 – The story is amazing and just full of holy shit moments.  This is one of the best series to come out of DC’s reboot.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75verall: 8.75

Justice League Dark #6 – Six issues to just get to this point… sigh.  I’m really only reading this for the I, Vampire crossover.  So much potential..

Story: 6.5 Art: 7 Overall: 6.5

The Mighty Thor #11 – The trolls attack as Loki figures out what’s going on and their plan is revealed.  Just in time for the new Asgard to launch too.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

New Mutants #38 – Doug visits the island where he died.  If you’re not a long time fan of the New Mutants, you probably won’t care, just like me.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7 Overall: 6.5

Secret Avengers #23 – Venom joins the team which doesn’t go over so well.  Is it just me or is Hawkeye way more dickish in this series?  Still, the series is finally finding a voice of it’s own, took long enough.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Teen Titans #6 – Licking their wounds after the fight with Superboy, there’s a fight that seems to be pointless as others work to help Kid Flash.  Oh yeah, a mystery is thrown out there too.  Not a bad series, but like the rest of the DC reboots, it’s losing my interest.

Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 7

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #7 – General Krang needs Splinter and Stockman sends Mousers to go fetch him.  The series continues to be awesome in every way.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #7 – The fact he’s Spider-Man hits Miles as he heads out to see the extent of his power.  At the same time his uncle is up to something…. The series still has a lot of fun to it, even though the art isn’t quite as solid as it once was.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.5

Uncanny X-Force #22 – I thought the Otherworld setting was bad enough, now Weapon III is thrown into the mix.  This great series has dropped in quality quickly.  I can’t wait for this story arc to be over with.

Story: 6 Art: 6 Overall: 6

Venom #13.3 – Wow, is this story bad.  The fact that it’s weekly is just hurting the wallet too.  There was some hope this would be a good event, but can’t say it’s anything knew that hasn’t been seen before.  This great series has gone off the rails.

Story: 6 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6

Wolverine & The X-Men #6 – Wolverine is trying to get money for the school, folks are trying to help Kitty out and Kitty is trying to save herself.  So many different stories and all of it pretty damn fun.  It’s not quite as solid as it’s been, but still an entertaining and original story arc.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

X-Men #25 – The X-Men and vampires holding Jubliee meet up and of course fight due to a misunderstanding… how original.  Then something sort of original happens.  Still, not a great plot.  I wish someone would just stake Jubliee and get rid of the character.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

X-Men: Legacy #262 – The battle with Exodus continues and they stop to talk during the middle of it, cause that’s smart.  The story is the typical battle, nothing original really and the art isn’t up to snuff for me.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Comic Book (sort of) Weekly Reviews – 2/8/12

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Getting closer to catching up with reviews.

Batgirl #6 – The best part of the issue is the quiet moments where Barbara reflects on her being Batgirl and her relationship with Batman.  Other than that, the bad guy isn’t as fleshed out as she should be, but hopefully we’ll get some of that in the future.  The best moments really are when the characters are shown their humanity to the point we can relate.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5

Batman and Robin #6 – The twist is predictable, but Bruce’s emotion when it comes to Damian is something that’s nice to see.  The series is interesting and has it’s place in the rather large amount of Batman books on the market.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Battle Scars #4 – We’re all buying this comic for the same reason.  Doesn’t mean it’s all that good.  Sigh.

Story: 6.75 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Batwoman #6 – The art is solid as usual, but the story is still off.  Something just isn’t clicking for me when it comes to the plot.  It’s really a comic that survives for the art alone and that’s sad with such amazing characters.

Story: 7 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.5

The Bionic Man #6 – Lots of fighting, sadly not much more.  But, somehow the comic is still very fun.  This is a great first arc for the series and makes me interested in a character I’ve never been interested in.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5

Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #529 – That’s a wrap for the series that to few people checked out.  The art bounced around a bit towards the end, but the series played out like an entertaining chess game.  It’s a shame a solid series such as this didn’t find an audience.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Captain America #8 – Yet another story where Cap loses his powers.  It’s cool to see the Reborn mini-series matter, the story itself is just not the quality we’ve seen in the past.  Something is off from the previous magic.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Daken: Dark Wolverine #21 – Daken is dying and he’s decided to go out with a bang.  Another series that was pretty solid at times and there’s times it showed brilliance.  Sadly it also never quite caught on with the audience it should of.  Daken was more than a Wolverine knock-off, more people just never found out how much of an individual he was.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.75

Green Hornet Annual #2 – The Green Hornet takes on slave traders.  I really wish more was shown, but there’s some great stuff in this annual just the same quality of the series.  Usually annuals mean crap, this is the exception to that.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.75

Green Lantern #6 – Sinestro is on a mission and Hal is trying to have a normal life.  Sadly Hal trying to live his life doesn’t get a chance to really explore that before he’s pulled back into being Green Lantern.  Not as solid as it was pre-52 relaunch, but still an entertaining series.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Journey Into Mystery #634 – We now know who the baddie is and what he’s up to.  There’s so much that’s solid here and this is a series that’s growing on me more and more.  There’s a lot of text and the writing is so good, it’s well worth the lengthy (compared to most comics) read.  Just beyond entertaining.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

Mega Man #10 – Mega Man takes on a few more robot masters as he gets pulled into the dark side and let the power go to his head again.  On top of that, he’s taking a beating.  You can feel the pressure building in what is a great adaptation of the video game and the perfect comic for the entire family.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

New Mutants #37 – Amara has her date with the devil and a story I went into rolling my eyes at I came out of with a smile on my face.  It was very cute and well done.  There’s some great humor, writing and entertaining logic throughout.  This version of the devil is pretty fun and entertaining.  I’m actually hoping to see more of him in the series.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Resurrection Man #6 – Wow, so good.  Resurrection Man is in Arkham and no one believes him when he says he has to die.  But, he also stands in the way of a break out and the inmates making it back into Gotham.  So much is so good in this issue.  When of the best to come out of the DC relaunch.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Scarlet Spider #2 – I’ve never been a huge fan of Spider-Man, but there’s something about this series that draws me in.  Maybe it’s the conflicted person at the center, the solid art of entertaining writing.  The combo of the three is great and this is a series that has me interested in what it’ll bring in the future.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Secret Avengers #22 – Huh, an interesting bad guy and can’t say I’ve seen them before, but that ending has me wanting to see more of them.  The new squad has a better focus and a more interesting dynamic.  Here’s hoping Remender’s run is as solid as some of his others.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Suicide Squad #6 – Harley Quinn is on the run and the Suicide Squad is after her.  There’s some I like here, but a lot I didn’t.  Quinn’s origin is fleshed out a bit, but not enough yet to give her motivation or much as far as character.  We’ll see how this goes, but it’s no Secret Six.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Superboy #6 – Superboy meets Supergirl and there’s the expected fighting.  Lots of questions are raised too.  The art is off a bit and something about the story isn’t clicking for me.  But I’ll stick with it to see the growth of the character I expect and you just know he’ll become a Teen Titan at some point.

Story: 7 Art: 6.75 Overall: 7

Thief of Thieves #1 – There’s a lot of series this year so far that have had a lot of hype around them and this series is one of the few that’s lived up to it all.  A thief has to juggle his career and personal life in a series that’s just fantastic on all levels.  That ending is fantastic and the build up and character interaction is just solid.  Can’t wait to see where the series goes.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9

Venom #13.1 – Some I liked with this issue but a bunch I didn’t.  The usual result of having some event or crossover derailing a solid issue continues.  The idea of Venom being caught up in a battle with Hell just doesn’t fit the character and there’s some much better material to mine.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Wolverine and the X-Men #5 – The art seems to be off a bit with this issue, but it’s really entertaining mixing some great concepts together.  The series has thrown out the serious tone that’s plagued the X-Men for quite some time, replacing them with fantastical concepts and a great amount of humor.  One of the best “X” books on the market.

Story: 8 Art: 7.5 Overall: 8

Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega #2 – Wolverine stuck in the virtual reality thing is entertaining up to a point, but just not quite sure the point or need of the mini-series.  It hasn’t added much to the overall dynamics and we’re not seeing anything new or shocking.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.75

X-Men #24 – Jubilee deals with her vampire side, while the X-Men search for her.  What’s up with the art?!

Story: 6.5 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.5

Your First Look At Secret Avengers #25

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Your First Look At SECRET AVENGERS #25

Marvel is proud to present your first look at Secret Avengers #25, from the red-hot creative team of Rick Remender & Gabriel Hardman. The Descendants live by a simple creed: Serve Father. Protect The Core. Kill all Avengers! Against all odds, it’s up to Hawkeye’s fractured team to stop this superhuman threat from achieving their sole objective–contagious robotic evolution! To what lengths will the Secret Avengers go to save all humanity as we know it? Find out in Secret Avengers #25, hitting comic shops everywhere and the Marvel Comics app, this April!

SECRET AVENGERS #25 (FEB120556)
Written by RICK REMENDER
Pencils by GABRIEL HARDMAN
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
Rated T+…$3.99
FOC –3/19/2012, ON SALE – 4/11/2012

Marvel Unveils New Avengers Vs. X-Men Covers!

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Marvel Unveils New AVENGERS VS. X-MEN Covers!

The war to save the Marvel Universe continues this June as the Avengers go head to head against the X-Men while the all-powerful Phoenix Force hurtles towards Earth!

You’ve heard It’s Coming—and this April The War Is Here in Avengers VS X-Men! All your favorite super heroes enter—and only one team will emerge victorious!

Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX!

For more on Avengers VS X-Men, please visit http://avx.marvel.com

AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #5
Written by MATT FRACTION
Pencils by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
ON SALE THIS JUNE!

AVX: VS #3
Written by JEPH LOEB & CHRIS YOST
Pencils by ED MCGUINNESS & TERRY DODSON
Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
ON SALE THIS JUNE!

SECRET AVENGERS #28
Written by RICK REMENDER
Pencils by RENATO GUEDES
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
ON SALE THIS JUNE!

X-MEN LEGACY #268
Written by CHRISTOS GAGE
Pencils by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover by MARK BROOKS
ON SALE THIS JUNE!

Comic Book (sort of) Weekly Reviews – 1/25/12

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One more week down.  Hoping to get three weeks of reviews done.

All-Star Western #5 – The back-up story is ok, but uneccessary (I’d go with $1 less without it), but the Hex story is entertaining.  Both Hex and Arkham have to climb their way out of a hole after being beaten to a pulp.  The series is great, giving some history to modern Gotham that gets referenced here and there in the Batman books.  It really plays off the shared universe really well.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Alpha Flight #8 – Hmm, lots of fighting and much better than the previous issues, but so many questions left unanswered.  How did the Master of the World take so much control?  What was up with the four toes?  Why did Heather turn?  Not a bad final issue, but overall it was clear the series was never quite up to monthly status.

Story: 7.25 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.25

American Vampire #23 – And that’s how this latest arc ties back.  It’s so good as we get a lot of build up to the current action.  Some great writing as far as inner monologue and fantastic action.  All tied together with great art.  We might be in the 50s (or so), but the story and series continues to be fantastic with a setting you rarely see for a vampire series.  Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque keep putting out a series that only seems to get better and better.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Aquaman #5 – Wow what a solid issue.  Aquaman is in a desert and while he struggles an interesting mystery surrounding Atlantis is set up.  Also the status of what people think of Aquaman is played up really well.  This is one of the best series to come out of DC’s reboot and it alone made the mess worth it.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

Astonishing X-Men #46 – Cyclops and others deal with this alternate world, I wonder what the point is…. The series needs to find it’s footing and place in the overall “X” structure and give me a reason it should exist.  It isn’t doing that right now.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Batman: The Dark Knight #5 – Um… Batman fights Scarecrow and then Superman shows up.  Then Batman fights Superman, mmm k… The dialogue is off for Supes, but Batman is decent.  Overall the issue is a mess I think.

Story: 6.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 6.75

Captain America & Bucky #626 – Lots going on here as Cap chases a Bucky and some interesting history is dredged up.  Not as solid as it’s been in the past, but still pretty decent.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.5

Daken: Dark Wolverine #20 – Daken is still on a mission to become the kingpin of LA and he has to take on Count Nefaria.  Then there’s the FBI agent who can’t decide if she wants to kill, arrest or date Daken.  There’s some great moments here and then some crap as well.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5

Fantastic Four #602 – The battle against the Kree isn’t going well and Reed and Susan do something pretty crazy to win, but there’s something bigger brewing.  I’m interested in how this ties into events in the recent X-Men comics…  Hickman continues his fantastic epic.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.5

FF #14 – We catch another glimpse of Hickman’s story and the Celestials arriving.  I can’t say I totally get everything that’s going on, but it’s an interesting piece of the bigger puzzle.  But on it’s own the issue can’t stand.  Still interesting in how it all ties together.

Story: 8 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.75

the Flash #5 – The Mob Rule storyline is over, thank god.  Not the strongest Flash storyline, but a lot was laid out there for future stories.  The overall plot was ok, but the groundwork it lays is the important thing.  Not bad though.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

Green Lantern: New Guardians #5 – The Lanterns check out the large vessel before them and some interesting stuff is hinted at.  There’s a decent amount going on as far as characters and all are given their fair shake as far as time.  The concepts presented are new which is cool.  Overall, pretty interesting stuff.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

I, Vampire #5 – The vampires have headed to Gotham and that just means Batman is getting involved.  The writing and art is top notch and the interaction between everyone is great too.  Fialkov just does the mood right and with his artist the comic is a perfect team.  This is one of the best comics to come out of the DC shuffle.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

Justice League #5 – The first story arc of the series reads like a big budget action movie with no depth other than those “kick ass” moments and the “witty banter.”  This is a comic of the 90s, all flash and no substance.  For being the flagship of DC I expect more and this is a missed opportunity that comics can be so much more than what’s presented.

Story: 6.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.5

The Mighty Thor #10 – Thor begins to figure out who he is as moves against the All Mother continues.  There’s a lot going on here that might be a bit much for new fans.  There’s just something I feel like I’m missing, but it’s still an entertaining read.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

Secret Avengers #21.1 – An ok issue having Captain America testing Hawkeye if he should be the next leader of the Secret Avengers.  Overall an ok issue, but not enough to hook a new reader and the story could have been told in a much more interesting way.

Story: 7 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7

Teen Titans #5 – Superboy fights the team and of course whips up on them.  There’s a bunch of moments that don’t make too much sense and of course Superboy sees the error of his ways.  There was a big build up to this moment and it’s a bit of a let down.

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 – There seems to be a third faction that has to do with French martial arts as the series deepens its mythology and has yet another thing that’ll be familiar to fans at the end.  The series is fantastic with a lot of nods to long time fans and easy to understand for folks new to TMNT.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Ultimate Comics the Ultimates #6 – Nick Fury assesses the situation and where they go from here.  Everything looks bleak and this is that quiet moment in the movie where you’re not quite sure if the good guys will pull it off and win in the end.  The series has slowed down but still solid.  My only complaint is there’s a lot of references to the continuity which I know nothing about.

Story: 7.25 Art: 8 Overall: 7.5

Voodoo #5 – Wait, what?  This information conveniently hasn’t been around for four issues?!  With Marz out as writer, I’m out as a reader.  I dug his mix of spy/super hero comic, this on the other hand is crap.

Story: 6.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.5

The Walking Dead #93 – Is there another threat out there or do these new visitors really mean peace?  Rick decides to go all crazy and see what they’re up against with a lot of debate and chatter.  It’s an interesting plot, but rather slow paced.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

X-Men: Legacy #261 – Exodus comes a calling and I yawn.  There’s some attempts at making the characters human and focus on their personal lives post split but it’s all rather 90210 for me.  Yawn.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Your First Look At Secret Avengers #24

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Your First Look At SECRET AVENGERS #24

Marvel is proud to present your first look at, Secret Avengers #24, from the critically acclaimed team of Rick Remender, Gabriel Hardman & Bettie Breitweiser.  The tragic events of last issue weigh heavily on Hawkeye’s conscience, leaving his position as leader, questionable. The Secret Avengers lie trapped at the center of the earth, allowing Father and his Descendants to enact their plan -spread contagious robot evolution! It is up to Venom to save the wayward squad, but will he make it in time? Will Hawkeye stand down as leader? Find out in Secret Avengers #24, hitting comic shops everywhere and the Marvel Comics app, this March!

SECRET AVENGERS #24 (JAN120645)
Written by RICK REMENDER
Pencils by GABRIEL HARDMAN
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
Rated T+…$3.99
FOC –3/5/12, ON SALE – 3/28/12

Comic Book (sort of) Weekly Reviews – 1/11/12

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Catching up on reviews….

Batgirl #5 – There’s a new villain for Batgirl called Gretel and some weirdness with the number 338.  It’s all ok, but not the quality we know Gail Simone can do.  The best parts of the series are the quiet moments when Barbara is reflecting on her life in and out of the cape.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5

Batman and Robin #5 – Damian has thrown his lot in with Ducard as we get the background between Ducard and Wayne.  The story is ok and somewhat predictable.  The art is changed up a bit too.  Overall, the read is good, but not necessarily great.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Battle Scars #3 – The issue is a lot of fighting as Marcus Johnson continues to try to figure out who is trying to kill him.  This six issue limited series just feels like one long origin story.  Hopefully it pays off.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Batwoman #5 – The series relaunch isn’t as quality as the previous with a supernatural bent to it all.  The story is so-so, but the art is amazing.  It’s a buy just for that reason alone.  Hopefully the story quality ramps up a bit as the series progresses.

Story: 7 Art: 8.75 Overall: 7.5

Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #528 –  The Panther is playing a game of chess with Fisk for the fate of Wakanda.  The story is entertaining enough and this issue has a very different artistic look.  I loved the art and would dig seeing a pulp/noir comic that looks like this.  This is the second to last issue and it’ll be interesting to see how it ends.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Brilliant #2 – The second issue of this Kick-Ass wannabe is ok and there’s a lot of interesting stuff in it.  But, the series feels tired and not fresh enough since so many other stories have walked this territory.  It’s not bad, it’s just not great.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Captain America #7 – Captain America keeps reverting and madbombs are being set off.  The story has a camp feel about it, but the art I think is just not as quality as it’s been in the past.  It’s a classic feel of a story, with art that also feels like it’s from the past.  Overall, not as strong as the past story arcs.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Daken: Dark Wolverine #19 – Wow is that a bad ending.  The art is sup-par, the story is a let down.  Overall, not the quality that we’ve seen.  It’s a shame because the character has so much potential.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Green Lantern #5 – What is the Chamber of Shadows and who is the first Lantern?  So many questions are raised here after Jordan and Sinestro’s battle against the Sinestro Corps.  The story is intriguing and I want to see what else is in store that hasn’t been done before.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Journey Into Mystery #633 – A transition issue with some fantastic writing, but the story itself is slow.  The individual words are fantastic though.  Very odd.  There’s a slow fantasy build to it all as Loki has nightmares and the Son of Satan is looking for a demon.  This is just the beginning but really it’s for the hardcore Thor fans.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Mega Man #9 – Much like the video games, this latest ark feels rather similar to what’s come before.  That’s not a bad thing as just with the games, it was all quality.  Hopefully the story arc switches it up just enough, but it’s nostalgic fun for the whole family.  Perfect for kids and their parents who grew up playing the video games.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

The New Avengers #20 – The team takes on Osborn and his crew.  Overall there’s some very interesting stuff here and the usual solid and entertaining writing.  I feel like we’ve seen this story before, but it’s still good.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Resurrection Man #5 – We finally get a sense of Resurrection Man’s origin and it’s actually pretty cool.  The story got very interesting with the latest revelations and that ending.  I’m digging the series which is one of a few that are bringing Vertigo quality and horror to the DCU.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Scarlet Spider #1 – Kaine is in Houston and the story is very fun having a bit of an edgier tone from the Spider-Man comics I’ve read in the past.  The issue is the history of Kaine is so convoluted.  There’s clearly torment there that adds depth to the character, but unless you know it all, there’s a bit lost in the entertainment.  There is a bit at the end about Kaine, sort of, but even that just shows how overly complicated the Spider-Man history is.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Secret Avengers #21 – A mission to take on some weird beings and all I could think of was when Warren Ellis would be off of the series.  It’s not bad, but there’s just not a reason for the series.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Suicide Squad #5 – It’s a jailbreak and the squad is kicking ass.  The series is fun and there’s a lot of solid moments in it.  It’s definitely not Secret Six and is taking a bit to find it’s footing, but the series is entertaining.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.5

Superboy #5 – Superboy is having some issue with Nowhere and Gen-13 is looking like it’s coming more and more to the DC universe.  There’s a lot of hints being dropped in the series which is a slow, but decent build up to…. something.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.5

Ultimate Comics X-Men #6 – Wow is all I can say.  So much going on and so solid.  Is Rogue a traitor?  Was there some plan?  And who is getting her to do everything she’s doing?  That answer is a shocker.  I really need to go back and get caught up on everything.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Wolverine #300 – The situation with the Silver Samurai is finally being taken care of.  Also, what the hell is up with Sabretooth coming back?  So much I liked and so much I didn’t.  But Wolverine is getting back to the decent read it used to be.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Wolverine & the X-Men #4 – Logan is dealing with the fact that he’s now as much of a teacher as he is a murderer.  The issue is great with so many fantastic moments, especially for what it hints might be coming.  This is one of the best “X” books out there right now.

Story: 8.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8.5

X-Factor #230 – The team is debating Guido having no soul and Jamie is in his weird world.  Wolverine makes a social call and offers up the team to join his side of the split.  This is the beginning of some great things I think.

Story: 8.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 8.25

X-Men: Legacy #260.1 – The series shifts to the new school with some humor mixed into the issue.  The art is ok, but there’s potential here.  I’m interested in seeing how this series stands out.  A bit of an improvement.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7 Overall: 7.5

Marvel Unveils New Avengers Vs. X-Men Covers!

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Marvel Unveils New AVENGERS VS. X-MEN Covers!

The war to save the Marvel Universe in continues this May as the Avengers go head to head against the X-Men while the all-powerful Phoenix Force hurdles towards Earth!

You’ve heard It’s Coming—and this April The War Is Here in Avengers VS X-Men! All your favorite super heroes enter—and only one team will emerge victorious!

Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX!

For more on Avengers VS X-Men, please visit http://avx.marvel.com

AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #3 PICHELLI VARIANT
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Colors by LAURA MARTIN
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
Variant Cover by SARA PICHELLI
ON SALE THIS MAY!

SECRET AVENGERS #27
Written by RICK REMENDER
Pencils by RENATO GUEDES
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
ON SALE THIS MAY!

WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #10
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils & Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
ON SALE THIS MAY!

Comic Book (not so) Weekly Reviews – 12/28/11

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I’m WAY behind in my reviews, but here’s there first batch of them.  Hopefully I can be nice and caught up in a week or so.  It was the last week of the year and that saw a lot of new releases.  It was a thick stack of books… did the year end on a good note?  Find out below.

All-Star Western #4 – Jonah is still in Gotham, this time hired to look for missing children.  The story is decent and pretty entertaining, but there’s a hint as to what he stumbles into, and while I like him being tied into the greater DCU, I’m not sure if connections like this are a bit too cute.  Still though, we have a western comic that’s a great read in both story and art.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Alpha Flight #7 – Wolverine shows up to see what’s going on and it turns into good guys versus good guys before they team up to take on the bad guys.  This limited series turned ongoing turned back into limited series has one more issue to go.  It hasn’t been a bad read, but also hasn’t knocked it out of the park like I’d hope.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

American Vampire #22 – Flash forward to 1954 and we have a new story arc from the vampire hunter angle.  It’s a completely different comic in a way and so damn good.  The main character just exudes the time and bleeds cool.  Add in some great story telling when it comes to revealing the plot and you’ve got a hell of a way to end the year.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Annihilators: Earthfall #4 – Hmmm, not the best of cosmic Marvel.  Hopefully whatever 2012 has in store, it’ll be better than this.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Aquaman #4 – Aquaman and Mera head into the trenches to free the people kidnapped by the weird fish people.  All of that raises lots more questions that don’t get answered, but gives a good place to go over the next year.  The art is fantastic, writing top notch.  Aquaman is one of the best super hero comics being put out by DC and one of the best on the market.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Astonishing X-Men #45 – Astonishing X-Men to me has struggled as to where it’s stood in the “X” cannon and how it stood out from the other “X” series out there.  This story arc which has Cyclops in another universe is pretty damn interesting, but I’m still not sure it’s enough to really justify it’s existence.  Still, much better than what’s come before.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Avengers: Children’s Crusade #8 – So I guess this character wasn’t big enough to make headlines about being killed off?  It’s been a while since we saw the last issue for this series which feels like it started years ago.  The two teams fight Doom who then hints that he was behind Wanda going crazy.  Did we just get a crappy retcon!?  Ugh.  This limited series has dragged as far as release schedule and not lived up to what I’d hope as far as story, but the art has been solid.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 7.75

Batman: the Dark Knight #4 – Batman investigates Ivy’s hideout and chases some leads in an ok issue of the comic.  Really, the focus is on friendships and how being Batman crushes Bruce Wayne’s personal life and limits his personal friendships.  There’s a bunch I like about the comic, but some things seem a bit forced.  Some foreshadowing though that could get interesting.  This is the Batman book that’s more about the visuals than the plot.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 7.75

Black Panther: the Most Dangerous Man Alive #527 – The Panther and Kingpin’s chess game continues as each attempts to out-maneuver each other.  It’s sad the series only has a bit to go.  It’s such high quality and deserves and audience.  The art too is great with a very interesting style in this particular issue.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

The Cape #3 – Um wow.  To say the moment my jaw dropped would ruin the comic.  The issue and series is balls out, just going full throttle.  The body count is rising but how can someone prove there’s a flying person out to get them?

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Captain America #5 – Hydra is starting to role again as Cap battles in the dream world.  The ending to the first story arc wasn’t bad, but there was something a bit off about it.  The good part is we start to get a sense of a weakness when it comes to Steve Rogers and Captain America.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 7.75

Captain America #6 – Steve’s got some doubts and he also might be having issues with the super soldier serum.  He and Hawkeye head out for a night of crime fighting and run into an old nemesis.  The arc has been solid so far, the art I’m not totally sold on though.

Story: 8.5 Art: 7.25 Overall: 8.25

Captain America & Bucky #625 – Cap is drawn into a murder mystery surrounding the Cap and Bucky that replaced him after he was frozen (yes a bit confusing to explain).  The story is pretty damn interesting and very entertaining and shows off some more “lost” history of Captain America.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

DMZ #72 – And with that, the series comes to an end.  Brian Wood’s series about war and those impacted by it turns into a love letter to New York City and those that live there.  The series for seventy-two issues has been solid and some of the best political commentary in an entertainment medium.  The ending is bitter sweet.  A great comic, but you don’t want it to end, because that brilliance comes to a close with it.

Story: 9.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9.25

FF #13 – The kids, Doom, Reed Richards and Nathaniel Richards stand against the made Celestials.  It’s interesting, but the bigger questions is how does writer Jonathan Hickman’s crazy storytelling all weave together.  he’s put together an epic Fantastic Four story for the ages.

Story: 8.25 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8.25

the Flash #4 – Mob Rule is causing all sorts of issues as folks have to deal with the affects of the EMP blast and folks are confused by the Flash’s passing a plane through a bridge.  This issue has some amazing visuals and the story has some good pacing.  It doesn’t stand on it’s own, but as part of the story arc, it’s solid.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Green Hornet #20 – The new Hornet and Kato take on a bad guy that their parents did in this self contained issue.  The relationship between the two is the focus really and it’s a reminder that this isn’t your parents’ Hornet.  The art takes a bit of a dip, but the story is solid enough to keep this series entertaining.

Story: 8 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.75

Green Lantern: New Guardians #4 – We start to get down to the mystery of the rings and Kyle.  There’s a lot here that I’ve never seen before, especially at the end.  The story is a giant fight scene and a bit muddled, but there’s some original stuff here and that has to be given lots of props.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

I, Vampire #4 – Bennett meet Constantine, Constantine meet Bennett.  It’s a good story as these two individuals must deal with another vampire.  There’s a twist at the end I wasn’t expecting at all which just makes it that much better.  This is easily one of the best comics to come out of DC’s relaunch.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

Iron Man 2.0 #12 – Wow, such a bad ending…. the series had a great start and then just went off the track into a wall.

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

Justice League Dark #4 – What the hell did I read.  The series is just not doing it for me.  The story is muddled and really confusing.  It’s too choppy without a really solid narrative to pull it all together.  The series has a lot of potential, but so far I haven’t seen it come close to living up to it.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 6.75

Kick-Ass 2 #6 – The most entertaining thing about this issue is seeing Hit-Girl spout out really inappropriate things.  The series is over the top violence at this point without much of a narrative.  The first volume was Shakespeare compared to this mess of a follow up.  Millar wants to shock and awe, but missed the mark you need a story first to really pull that off.

Story: 6.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.25

the Mighty Thor #9 – Loki still tries to figure out who Thor is.  Taranus does his thing and the All Mothers decide to turn Asgard into a Republic.  Um yeah… things got rather interesting in this series.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5

Secret Avengers #20 – Wow did this issue make my head hurt.  Lots of time jumping and the story and art are interesting, but overall, call we move the series forward instead of these pointless self-contained stories?

Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7

Spaceman #3 – The series is beyond unique and creative but I think it doesn’t read all that great as single issues.  I’m definitely waiting for the trade and reading it all at once.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Teen Titans #4 – Superboy takes on Wonder Girl as the Teen Titans finally get their members together.  The series has a great tone and some entertaining interaction.  The art is solid as well.  This is one of my favorite series of the DC relaunch.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro-Series Michelangelo – Michelangelo gets caught up in a diamond heist.  The story is entertaining and the art is solid.  I’ve loved the new TMNT series from IDW and these self contained issues have been just as good.  Great for TMNT fans new and old.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

Ultimate Comics the Ultimates #5 – This issue is just solid.  All kinds of great moments just building up to the eventual battle.  This issue doesn’t stand on it’s own, but as part of the greater story so far, it’s so good.  As usual, great art and great plot.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Ultimate Comics X-Men #5 – Um, holy crap.  So the beginning of the comic hinted at the ending, but I didn’t put two and two together as to what it all meant until those last few panels.  This comic just is so tense and so amazing.  The series as a whole just rocks.  The art, story, like the other Ultimate comics, I’m so happy I took chance with the relaunch.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

Uncanny X-Men #3 – The team continues to fight Sinister and also have Celestials to deal with.  The story and art is ok.  To me, that’s it, just ok.  There’s two different teams basically and I think the quality is different too.  Out of all of the “X” books two stand out to me, Wolverine & the X-Men and Uncanny X-Force.  Uncanny, just doesn’t live up to the relaunch and continues on it’s meh course.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Voodoo #4 – Voodoo is on a mission to learn about the world’s super heroes.  Seriously, Marz has been booted from this series?  His mix of action heroine/spy/super hero comic is fresh and is as solid as they come.  Hopefully the series keeps it up, but I have my doubts the quality will keep up.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

X-Men: Legacy #260 – In a transition issue, Rogue and friends rescue Ariel and Korvus is dealt with.  The issue really just moves the story along with a dip in art and overall a ho-hum.

Story: 7.25 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.25

 

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