A solid week of books littered with lots of limited series, annuals, and X-Men related books.  We also see the release of Daytripper, Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon’s new Vertigo series.  Check out the review below.

Monthly Comics

Black Widow: Deadly Origin #2 – The Black Widow delves deeper into project Icepick as we learn more about her history and what the Red Room did to her.  A character who’s had some decent moments recently acting as a key player is finally getting the focus and fleshed out history.  So far a decent read with some interesting art.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Dark X-Men #2 – The team deals with the fall out at their attempt to make contact with Nate Grey as Osborn decides he has different plans for one of the most powerful mutants on the planet.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5

Daytripper #1 – I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this new series under the DC Vertigo line.  When I reached the final panel my jaw was dropped and I was speechless.  This could be the best series debut of the year with an amazing story that makes me count down the days until the next issue.  Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon have crafted an amazing first issue that can’t can’t be missed.  The story is masterfully crafted and sets a level of maturity rarely seen in the comics medium.  This is the equivalent of an thought inducing grown up movie in comic form.  In a single issue we’re challenged with what our lives are about, the relationship between fathers and sons, and the legacy we inherit and choose to forge on our own. We’ll see where this series goes from here, I’m looking forward to it.

Story: 10 Art: 8 Overall: 9.5

Deadpool #18 – The main series staring Deadpool balances action, humor and actual consequences/continuity really well.  Way and Medina know how to hit it out of the park as usual, wrapping up the “Deadpool wants to be an X-man” arc.  Too bad Deadpool’s other two series aren’t nearly as good as this one.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

Deathlok: The Demolisher #2 – This isn’t the Deathlok that I remember.  In Marvel Knights story outside of continuity the Roxxon Corp. must figure out how to make up for the loss of their star soldier.  The answer is Deathlok.

Story: 8 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8

DMZ #48 – The United States and United Nations have decided Delgado Nation shouldn’t be a nuclear power, and they sent in the troops to fix that problem.  Matty Roth continues his growing up as he must deal with his duel role as press and leader in the new Delgado administration.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.5

the Invincible Iron Man #21 – How will they put Humpty Dumpty back together again?  The kings men line up to get the job done, and what might seem silly actually plays off as methodical and logical, just like it should for a man like Tony Stark.  While this issue really focuses on the process of it all, there’s just enough emotional tugs that gets you here, and it wraps up what’s been occurring in the past issues beautifully, bringing all of the pieces of the puzzle together.

Story: 9.5 Art: 9 Overall: 9.25

Nation X #1 – With a new status quo comes a new mini-series looking at how it’s affecting some of the characters not in the spotlight, much like the Manifest Destiny mini-series that came before it.  The art is definitely uneven, and none of the stories have any major lasting repercussions.  All the vignettes seem to come close to being really good, but don’t quite make it.

Story: 6.5 Art: 7 Overall: 6.75

Necrosha: The Gathering – Selene has raised an army of dead mutants but there are a few that are alive and serving her.  How did these mutants of death come to the side of the Black Queen?  This one-shot answers those questions.

Story: 7 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25

the New Avengers: Annual #3 – Since Dark Reign: The List – New Avengers, Clint Barton has been captured by Osborn and the issue hasn’t really been touched upon since.  This annual is the bridge between that issue and Marvel’s next event Siege.  The women of the New Avengers head out to rescue Barton from Osborn’s clutches in a pretty basic action issue.  I do have to say, I got chills when I reached the final panel of the issue.  I can’t wait until Siege.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #2 – Instead of a multi-part mini-series the latest space epic from DnA is a bunch of mini-series each focusing on a different aspect of the fall out from the War of Kings.  Here, the Imperial Guard head into the rift and come across their own nightmares.  The idea of the fault/rift opens up a world of opportunity of stories to explore and a universe torn apart from war ads a level on intrigue that’s needed to balance out the adventure aspect.  The second issue of the series isn’t quite as solid as the first, but still quite enjoyable.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Secret Six #16 – The team has a new prospect for a member, problem is, she’s a young girl, who’s a little unstable.  How will this x-factor fit in with the already unstable team dynamic.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.25

the Unwritten #8 – The series takes a step back from the deeply layered look at the written word and our imaginations, and instead focuses on the jail’s warden and his relationship with his children.  This pulling back and focusing on Tommy’s book’s impact on the masses adds another layer in how we can explore this comic book and it’s theme’s and message.  And those are already pretty thick and expansive.  If you enjoy literature, it’s history and the many layers of it, you’ll love this series by Mike Carey and Peter Gross.

Story: 9 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

the Walking Dead #68 – Robert Kirkman has put this group of survivors through the ringer.  When an offer that seems too good to be true comes before them, how can they not be skeptical and cautious?  We learn about their new friend and have to decide to accept him on his offer.  The issue screams of tension and foreboding, all set up by Kirkman’s brilliant story telling that’s built up to this.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

X-Force Annual #1 – A lot of the annuals lately have been extensions of their series and have had important plot points, not so much with this one.  X-Force is dispatched to retrieve a Hydra agent, and while the story is somewhat touching, there’s no point.  The Deadpool back-up story is hilarious though.  He must deal with Selene’s army on Utopia, and it’s just fantastic.  His part of the issue would be rated much, much higher than the overall rating (Deadpool’s back-up gets 8’s across the board).

Story: 6.75 Art: 6.75 Overall: 6.75

X-Men: Forever #13 – For 13 issues I’ve expected a lot from Chris Claremont’s continuation of the X-Men story he started and never got to finish.  Without the shackles of continuity he was free to kill off whomever he wanted and shake up the status-quo in this “what if?” series.  We’re finally seeing the smallest of hints of the greatness I’ve expected.  His introduction of “no future” for his characters has introduced the chaos of which he can have lots of fun and really shake things up.  The series is still hampered by poor art, that drags down the overall product and a twice a month schedule of which there’s no need.  You’ve almost got the story down, now, just work on these other things and the pay off I’ve been waiting for might be seen.

Story: 6.5 Art: 4.5 Overall: 5