After a week off for some personal reasons we’re back with a vengeance and a thick stack of books to review.  These reviews cover the past two weeks worth of comics, which both saw a decent amount of releases during each.

Monthly Comics

Avengers: The Initiative #29 – The Resistance decides to free Donyell who is made an offer that’s tough to refuse as Penance struggles to remember who he was.  Also a new threat arises in the final moments.

Story: 8.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 8

Blackest Night #4 – The heroes of Earth rallies as Jordan gathers the various Corps. to take on the Black Lanterns as the main evil comes out of the shadow.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Blackest Night: Superman #3 – Dead rise in the first issue, fight the second issue, figure out a way to repel the dead in the third issue.  This pattern has fit every Blackest Night limited series.  Some, like the Titans one below will have ramifications to the bigger story line, Superman, not so much.  Nice to look at, but ultimately forgettable.

Story: 5 Art: 8 Overall: 6

Blackest Night: Titans #3 – The story for the Blackest Night offshoots is pretty simple, the dead rise, heroes deal with the dead, rinse, repeat.  As I expected Dove will play a key part in the Blackest Night series.  I’m putting money down we’ll be seeing a White Lantern by the end of the series.

Story: 6 Art: 8 Overall: 6.75

Dark Avengers #10 – Norman’s team must actually do the normal hero thing and explore a missing girl in Colorado.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Dark Reign: Skrull Kill Krew #5 – Secret Invasion used the Skrull invasion as a parable for religious fanaticism and the terror sleeper cells.  This limited series kept up that story for it’s first four issues, quickly turning the narrative for it’s final fifth issue.  I couldn’t help but keep cringing at wording about extermination and thinking “Jewish”.  Maybe, this is what the writers had in mind all along?  To have you cheering for the Krew for the first four issues, and rethinking your support towards the end.  No matter, it was definitely an entertaining limited series well worth the read.  I especially enjoyed the cheeky last page.

Story: 6.5 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.5

Dark Reign: Young Avengers #5 – Much like Young Avengers spotlights the next generation of Avengers, this limited series introduced their “dark” counterparts.  The final issue to this limited series really is just one big fight sequence and other than the introduction of some great new characters, overall there’s not much there.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7

Dark Reign: The List – Hulk – “The List” one-shots have stood as a way to move each series stories along and tie in the great Dark Reign storyline and Norman Osborn’s plans.  All of the issues have really just served as an extra issue for their respective series and proved pretty vital to the ongoing picture.  While this one-shot was entertaining, I can’t say I have the same feeling from it.  It’s not that this issue is bad, it just didn’t feel vital or important, there really was no big major “event” to it, unlike other issues.  However, I did enjoy the it, and if you collect the Hulk series of books regularly it’s worth the pick up.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Dark Reign: The List – Punisher – Norman catches up to the Punisher and sicks Daken on him.  A must read for anyone who reads the regular Punisher series.  While the issue is very much all action, it’s tone is much sadder and reflective.  Overall, an excellent issue.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.25

Dark Reign: The List – Wolverine – Two stories make up issue and each have similar themes touching on religion a little bit.  Most of the “List” issues have acted as an extra monthly issue tying their series into the greater Dark Reign story line even more so.  This issue is the exception to the list (pun intended).  Not only are both stories forgettable but add very little to the the greater ongoing storyline.  I might be missing something and be proven wrong in the long run, but for now I give this issue a huge pass as they add nothing and both stories where nothing special.

Story: 5 Art: 6 Overall: 5

Ex Machina #46 – Mayor Hundred must deal with local politics as we get closer to understanding where his powers come from and the bigger picture as the series hurtles towards it’s conclusion.  Brian K. Vaughn is proving again that he’s a master story teller in one of the best series being published.

Story: 9.5 Art: 8 Overall: 9

Fantastic Four #572 – Mr. Fantastic must defend against the Celestials as he learns the ultimate price for making his decision to join the other Reeds.  His recent decisions are reflected upon his growing up, as we learn more about Reed Richards the man.  The new creative team have already up the notched in a fantastic (no pun intended) first arc.  If you dropped the series due to Mark Millar’s less than stellar run, it’s well worth picking up again.

Story: 8.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 8.5

Green Lantern #47 – Jordan and Sinestro work out their differences and they decide the plan of attack and which color Lantern they must gather next.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Guardians of the Galaxy #19 – Kang the Conqueror sends the team in the future back to stop Magus, but at what price?  The story is pretty solid, but the artwork, like many books this week, is off.  This is what’s been building since the first issue and the major calamity that’s been talked about.  There’s been tons of build up, and this is a huge issue with a nice payoff.

Story: 9 Art: 6.5 Overall: 8.5

the Invincible Iron Man #19 – Osborn catches up to Stark as Hill, Potts, and the Black Widow make their escape as the end of this arc wraps up.  As usual Matt Fraction delivers a solid issue and fantastic ending to the arc.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

the Mighty Avengers #30 – Mighty, Young, and New Avengers must team up and head to China to take on the Inhuman threat while Hank Pym learns more about his role in the universe.  While the story was solid the art was a bit lacking, though not distracting enough to take much away from the enjoyment of the issue.

Story: 8.5 Art: 6.5 Overall: 8

the New Avengers #58 – Osborn’s crew has Luke Cage as the rest of the team makes a run for it, but how does Osborn treat a man in a cardiac emergency and has impenetrable skin?  While the story is solid, much like it’s sister Mighty title the art is a little off this issue, though not distracting enough to take away anything from the enjoyment of the issue.

Story: 8.5 Art: 6.5 Overall: 8

New Mutants #6 – We’re getting the band back together.  Doug Ramsey takes on his old teammates as the series gets dragged into the Necrosha crossover.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25

Punisher #10 – The Hood gives Frank the choice to bring back his family and he must make the choice if he literally wants to make a deal with the devil.  The reaction truly shows off what type of character the Punisher is.  This was definitely an issue I finished saying “wow”.

Story: 9 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

Secret Warriors #9 – The team is pursued by Ares and some of the Dark Avengers as Fury continues on his mission.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Spider-woman #2 – Some comic books series are big action adventures and some are slow builds.  Spider-woman falls into the later coming off as a noir-ish spy thriller.  With only the second issue out, I have to say, so far so good.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Thunderbolts #137 – Usually a top notch series this month was definitely off from the last few excellent issues.  Osborn has decided to use the Thunderbolts and Iron Fist to get back at Luke Cage for what he did.  A very so-so issue.

Story: 6.5 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.5

Unknown Soldier #13 – Moses must decide if he’ll take a young boy home across a war zone as we are shown the horrors that children are forced into.  Unlike any other comic out there and one of the best comics published every month.

Story: 9 Art: 7 Overall: 9

Dark Wolverine #79 – Moses Magnum and his crew take on Daken as they continue their jail break.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Wolverine: Weapon X #6 – Logan winds up in a psych ward, and really that’s about all you got, other than it’s a pretty creepy issue.  As seems to be a theme for Marvel comics this week, the art is a little underwhelming while the story is solid.

Story: 8 Art: 7 Overall: 8

X-Factor #50 – If the writer Peter David has shown us anything with his excellent X-Factor run it’s he “knows stuff” like writing a comic book series.  In the 50th issue we learn the secret behind Layla Miller and Madrox’s trip to the future comes to an end.  A fantastic ending to David’s long running story, that literally comes full circle.

Story: 9 Art: 7 Overall: 9

X-Force #20 – X-23’s arc with Agent Morales comes to an end in what definitely has a feel of a mini-arc to go between X-Force’s time adventure and the upcoming Necrosha storyline.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25

X-Men: Forever #10 – After all of the recent action the team settles down to mourn the loss of Wolverine.  It’s nice to see a series where anything can happen.  My only complaints are, there’s no reason this series comes out twice a month, and the art is a little lackluster.  There’s a scene in this issue Sabertooth has his eyes back, simple mistake people!!

Story: 6 Art: 5 Overall: 5.5

X-Men: Legacy #228 – Rogue steps up to save Bling who’s been captured by Emplate.  Nothing too exciting.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

X Necrosha – Three short stories kick of this mini “X” event.  Selene attacks Utopia, Doug Ramsey rises and Destiny does her thing.  Overall, an ok start to the crossover, but it definitely didn’t get me excited for it.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7